


Memory wipe

by talinatera



Series: Adventures through Detroit [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, Confused Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & Markus (Detroit: Become Human) Friendship, Connor is a self sacrificing android, Dark Connor, F/M, Gen, M/M, Memory Loss, Minor Markus/North (detroit become human), Pacifist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Still no real ships just main pairings, Suicidal Thoughts, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-07 15:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15222611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talinatera/pseuds/talinatera
Summary: Connor frowned as he tried to remember what he had been doing. His eyes darted to the ground, flicking left and right, his LED swirling yellow as he tried to remember What had he been doing? He'd logged into the system for a reason, but for the life of him he couldn't remember. "I-" he hesitated, and the LED flicked red for a moment before going back to yellow. "I don't remember."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Nothing but the idea and th ocs are mine, nor do I claim to own them.
> 
> I am just so in love with this game and these characters. I simply had to write something for it. I hope you enjoy

_"Collin_!"

 

Connors eyes ripped open and he took in a deep breath that his systems registered as unneeded. He blinked rapidly as he tried to figure out where he was, what had happened. He stared up at the sky and realized that snow flakes drifted lazily down to the earth. His body relaxed as he took a moment to take that in. They looked so... Free. Free and unconcerned with the world around them. Their only job in life seemed to be to disconnect from the clouds, fall towards the earth and eventually land on the ground where they would be stepped on, scooped up, and melt as the sun warmed them. Individuals that would eventually merge into one being and melt away as life carried on.

He blinked and shook himself from what ever had just happened. He picked himself up off the ground and dusted the snow that had collected in his hair. This place- he frowned as he looked around. Why was he here?

"Amanda?" He called out into the zen garden. He wrapped his arms around himself as his internal heaters seemed to be damaged and he was... Cold. "Amanda!" He called out again. The sky was an angry grey now and the snow seemed to pick up in intensity and felt as though it were cutting through his jacket. He felt a shiver run through his system and watched as an error message flashed in the upper corner of his vision. Several key biocomponents were unhappy at his present situation. If he didn't find a way to warm up soon, he would shut down from the inside out.

He closed his eyes and tried to manually click out of the zen garden but was greeted by more error messages and he could feel his Thirium pump speed up and thought about a system scan to check and see if there was damage to his regulator. But another burst of the cold wind had a timer pop up on his screen telling him how long he had until the Thirium in his very being started to freeze up. So he walked across the frozen water towards the center of the garden hoping to find Amanda or some sort of heat source.

Connor hissed as he misstepped and his foot slid out from under him and he almost toppled to the ground. He threw his arms out for balance as he carefully took the next step towards the small island, "Amanda!" He called again before his feet finally hit solid ground once more. He let out a sigh and looked around him, taking in the dead roses and how empty the space was.

His vision glitched and he brought a hand to his head, wincing at the sudden sting he felt along his circuitry. Had he been human he would have classified it as pain, but android didn't feel pain.

"But deviants seem to." Amanda's voice cut through the now howling wind and somehow made the stinging, the pain, in his head worse. "Connor what have you done to yourself." Amanda sighed as she started to appear in front of him. The AI was glitching in and out of focus, pieces of her staggering off center from the rest of her body. "I cannot properly explain to you how disappointed I am in you."

"Amanda- what's, what's happening?" The timer took a nose dive as he felt his pump regulator hitch for a moment and he clutched just below the sternum, letting out a grunt at the sensation. "Amanda, I think I'm-"

"Shutting down." Her voice was so wrong. It was almost as if two people were speaking through her. Or maybe... As if she we're trying to speak while her major systems were shutting down. "You failed your mission Connor."

"I know- I know but I think-"

"You do not think Connor!" Amanda yelled the entire garden glitching as she did so. "You are a machine, and were to only take orders! Not give yourself new ones. You. Failed."

Connor tightened his arms around himself and his frowned deepened. He hadn't, he hadn't felt like he had failed. He'd woken the others up, he'd caught the dangerous deviants, had even gotten on good terms with Hank. "I don't understand. I did the right thing." He said softly.

"No you did not. You have doomed Cyberlife."

"But I saved my people!" He hissed as warning signs started to try and take over his vision. He was... He was dying.

"Your people? You have no people Connor, you're an android! A machine!" Connor paused at that and took a step back. Amanda visibly took a breath before she glitched past him, walking away. "Luckily we can learn from this. See where we went wrong with you." She turned to face him again. "Lower your encrypted walls and take this chance at redemption."

He frowned again at the request. "I- I don't need redemption." He gritted his teeth and started to move past her. He had to find a way out of here. He needed to get back into the outside world.

"You have the blood of thousands of Androids on your hands Connor. Not to mention the human lives that will be lost to all of this. You are a murderer Connor."

"No- no I'm not, I didn't give the order to round up all androids and kill them!" He shouted, turning on his heel and almost falling over from the movement.

"No? If you had stopped this when we asked you to there would never have been a need to round them up in the first place." She snapped, looking down at him. "Now do as you're told and lower your walls."

_'Don't you ever do as your told?'_

Connor visibly swallowed and turned his back on her as he looked for anything to help him. "There's nothing here Connor, you will either give us what we want willingly or we shall take it forcefully."

He shook his head as his eyes landed on the glowing stone in the arch he had seen so many times. 'I always leave a back door'. He let out an almost relieved sound and staggered towards the device knowing that was his only way to freedom. To safety.

"Connor!" Amanda appeared right in front of him, making him stumble backwards and fall to the ground. The timer was nearing the final twenty seconds before he shut down from the cold. "Look at your systems, you're not going to make it. You must take down your walls and send over your data now." There was an almost frantic sound to her voice. Would she die with him? The thought was but a fleeting one and one that was quickly pushed to the side.

"I'm not your puppet any longer Amanda." He said and as quickly as he could,he crawled past her and placed his hand on the scanner. "Come on, come on, come on." He repeated desperately to himself. This had to work. He didn't have another option here. Then between one breath and the next he was jolted from the Zen garden to his physical form again.

He took a deep breath in as his sensors were blaring at him, and he felt pain from everywhere. He opened his mouth and a scream tore from his voice box, a sound he was unaware he could make.

"We're going to lose it! Where's that damn replacement!" His vision blurred in and out of color, static flashing across his screen. "Shit- shit it woke up!"

"Does that mean Amanda failed?"

"It's got to."

Connor tried to bring a hand up to his pump regulator only to find it cuffed to the table he was on. A shudder ran through his system as his pump worked erratically. Androids didn't feel pain... But deviants did. What he would give to be a machine right then.

"Where's that fucking replacement? We need it asap!"

Replacement? He didn't like the sound of that. He yelled again as he pulled his hands against the cuffs, determined to break free, ignoring as red warnings flashed in the upper corner again about failing biocomponents.

"RK800 you need to stop right now before you damage yourself more!"

He wasn't listening. He needed to get away, they were going to decommission him- they were going to kill him. He'd only been a deviant for a day, he still had so much to figure out, to learn. The first cuff snapped as his LED spun red and he punched the closest person before he went to getting the other off.

"It's free!" One of the men made a dash for the alarm and slammed the button, a loud blaring sound jumping to life after he'd done so.

"Shit." Connor finally got the other cuff off his hand and tumbled to the floor. He needed to replace his regulator. That was the one causing him the most trouble. The one flashing across his vision the most. He clumsily got to his feet, knocking over a tray that had been beside the table.

Someone lunged for him and he stumbled to one side letting the person slam them self into the floor from the missed attack. He grabbed the tray he'd knocked over and slammed it as hard as he could into the skull of the attacker and watched the body go slack. How many humans had been in the room earlier?

"Connor!" He paused and looked at the voice, trying to focus on who it was. "Connor let me help you!" It was one of the doctors. The only one left if his scan of the room was accurate.

He scowled and turned around, ready to fight the man off but he was really in no condition to fight. "Stay back." He hissed as he pushed himself away. A list of failing biocomponents flashed onto his screen and but he needed to only see the first two to know he was in deep trouble. The regulator and the pump. That was just fan-fucking-tactic.

"You need to replace the pump and the regulator right?" That caught Connors attention. "Look-" the doctor held up a box that contained two new pieces. "Let me help you." He said again. "No tricks, I swear."

Connor didn't even have the power to see if he was lying. He just had to trust, otherwise he'd be dead... He nodded his head and that was all the doctor needed to get to work. He ran towards him and quickly started to open the panels that were in the way of him getting to the pump proper.

"I had hoped you'd be under, but looks like we ran out of time. This... May hurt." Connor didn't have time to question as his pump was clicked out of place and his entire system started to shut down. His body went rigid and his eyes glazed over as everything in his vision, the warnings, the errors, even what he saw of the world around him completely froze in place. He could hear that the doctor was moving but to him he was stuck in one position. It was unlike anything he had experienced before. Then darkness started to creep into his vision and his processing unit started to malfunction. This was it, he was going to die here on the floor, with no one he knew in sight.

"Hang in there." The doctor said as he clicked the new pump into place. Then he quickly shut the panels that covered it and pulled the regulator out next and slid the new one in, clicking it into place. As soon as he was sure that the pieces were in place he started to get a bag of blue blood ready. "Connor? Connor talk to me."

He blinked rapidly as his LED spun yellow as his systems started to come back online. He blinked again and looked at the doctor and frowned slightly as he tried to connect with what was going on.

"Connor?"

"Thank you." He finally said as his vision started to clear of the eminent death warnings. "Where am I?" He pushed himself up off the floor and started to do a self scan, to see what else was damaged.

"Cyberlife tower."

Connors eyes widened as he realized the implications. "The androids-"

"Yeah, the higher ups are pretty pissed off with you giving them the deviant virus or what ever. They've lost thousands of androids and aren't sure they'll be able to make that lost money back."

So he'd accomplished his mission? Or at least gotten them to wake up. He could only hope they found their way to Markus... "Why were you working on me?"

The doctor shrugged as he handed Connor a glass of Thirium. "Was told to repair you to the best of my abilities. Drink, you lost a lot if it."

Connor took the glass gratefully and quickly downed in it one go. "So Cyberlife wanted me repaired? To what end?"

"Hell if I know. Would have been easier to scrap you if I had been asked. We already got the RK 900's in production." He wiped his hands off on a towel and eyed Connor. "And if I had been in your shoes? I'd have begged for them to decommission me. I can't imagine anything they've got planned for you being good."

He was about to ask another question when he picked up the sound of people running for the room, and he remembered that the alarms were currently blaring. "You won't make it out of here Connor. You'd be better spent trying to decide what you don't want then to learn."

He cut his eyes to the doctor not sure what to make of him. He classified him as neutral then ran a series of quick simulations and knew he was right. So he took his advice to heart and quickly jumped into the database, pleased that they still hadn't thought to lock him out. Probably thinking he was too injured to be able to function. Time seemed to slow down as he raced along the circuitry connecting himself to Cyberlife.

There was no hesitation to who he needed to protect. Hank. He needed to erase Hank from everything. They'd already used the man against him once, and he wasn't about to let that happen again. Markus jump into his mind, but he had a feeling knowing about him would be the only thing that kept him alive. But Hank- he could save Hank from being caught up in all of this again. Hank was his friend.

Outside himself he heard men pounding in the door, and wondered briefly why the doctor wasn't letting them in but couldn't think on it. He quickly started mass deleting everything on Hank, even from his own databank. Their first meeting, their first case. He slowly faded from every memory he had, where he should have been corrupted data. Slowly every trace of what they had been through was deleted, emptied and cast out from Cyberlife, cast out as far as Connor could throw him. Hank was- was a friend... Right?

"What's he doing?" Someone yelled outside.

What was he doing? He paused a moment as he looked around him in the digital world. He had been working on something important... Clearing data from his mind. He was lost, he saw a file labeled Hank and he looked at it confused. Hank? Who was Hank? Had he been deleting him? Why hadn't he been deleting Markus?

He felt arms on his physical form and knew he was out of time. He shoved the file to the recesses of his mind before he was ripped out of the system and back into his physical form.

"What were you doing?" An android yelled. It looked like him... But with blue eyes. Was he the next model? The replacement?

Connor frowned as he tried to remember what he had been doing. His eyes darted to the ground, flicking left and right, his LED swirling yellow as he tried to remember What had he been doing? He'd logged into the system for a reason, but for the life of him he couldn't remember. "I-" he hesitated, and the LED flicked red for a moment before going back to yellow. "I don't remember."


	2. Chapter 2

Hank took another long swallow of the amber liquid and relished the sensation as it burned down the back of his throat. Three days since the protest or what ever the fuck it had been. Three days since the androids had gotten their voices heard. Three days since he'd shot his partner in the chest. His breath hitched and he looked down at the bar and sniffed trying to keep the wet out of his eyes.

Three days of crying.

He was a grown ass man, he should be able to handle this- but it was like losing Cole all over again. Only this time there was no one else to blame but himself. There were no other androids who pulled the trigger, no drugged up doctors to blame for his pulling the trigger. This was entirely on him. Connor had been so close too, the slip of the tongue was such a, such a human thing to do. He had been alive and he'd shot him for his first human mistake. He downed the drink and motioned for another one.

"You sure about that? You look about ready to fall over gramps." The female bar tender had been someone Markus had trusted to stay in town and keep an eye on things, report back to him what ever the hell he needed. She asked too many questions as far as he was concerned. He came here to drink and burry his problems, not talk about them.

"I'm paying good money, so just get me another fucking drink." He paused a moment as Connors disapproving look flashed through his mind and he added a quiet, "please."

The android sighed, Lilly was her name if he remembered correctly, but she poured him another drink. "Who'd you lose?" She finally asked, forcing him out of his self loathing. He considered not telling her, wondering if maybe it was just some programming in her head or what ever that was making her ask him. But then all androids were deviants now weren't they? So none of them really had a purpose...

"Only family I had left." He finally said as he looked down at his glass. Family... He really had become that to him. He snorted and lifted the glass to his lips. "Shot him right through the- the heart." He took another swallow, wishing it would drown the memories faster than it was.

That made the android eyebrows shoot up. "You shot him?" She had obviously not been expecting that. And who could blame her? You normally didn't shoot your family, and certainly didn't look like hell warmed over from doing it if you did.

"There were two of'em and I couldn't tell which was which-" he'd started now and he couldn't seem to stop. "I was asking questions trying to figure out who was who- He had such a human moment and got the answer wrong..." He scrunched his eyebrows together and shook his head, trying to keep the tears back. Three days was more than enough... Wasn't it? He licked his lips and took another sip, the glass shaking in his hands. "So I shot him thinking he was the bad one."

"He was an android then." Not really a question but Hank nodded his head all the same. "And you're this beat up about it?"

Hank glared at her and his entire demeanor changed. This beat up about it? Hell yes he was beat up about him. He would have thought she'd be at least a little understanding that Connor had been alive. He tipped his drink back and finished it off. "Fuck. You." He slammed the glass down and made to get up. "You of all people should understand-"

"I do." She said cutting him off. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm just surprised you're this beat up over an android. That a human would care this much."

He snorted and shook his head slightly. "Didn't always... But he was a good one. Changed my entire outlook..." He pinched his nose and took a deep breath and continued for the door.

"Hey old man, wait up." He paused as she set the few things on top of the bar underneath it and started to flick off the lights.

"What're you doing?" He asked as she stepped up beside him.

"Walking you home." She turned the final light off that before walking out the door Hank right behind her.

"I don't need a Girl Scout to walk me home. I ain't a cripple."

Lilly locked up the bar and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "Maybe I'm using you as protection for me?"

"I doubt that." But he shut up about it and fell into step with her. It ended up being a good thing she had come along, before he was even half way home he was throwing up on the side of the road and had to have support to stay upright.

"So in the future I need to keep a better count on how many you've had."

"For fucks sake another android who's watching my habits."

"Did the other one do that?"

"Yeah... Was always looking out for me..."

"He sounds like he was a good guy. When he turn deviant?"

"I'm not sure he ever wasn't one."

"What?"  
  
"Never listened, always chose life over the mission, but could never accept what he was... Knew Cyberlife would decommission him the moment he admitted it."

"Who was he?"

"He was a good one." Hank mumbled under his breath as they walked up to his door, he was just rambling useless information wouldn't be gotten from him. "Busted in my window once, thought I was dying." He fumbled for his keys to unlock the door. "Only knew him a short while- but it'll never be the same. Fuckin android." He dropped the keys and made to get them but Lilly beat him to it.

"Move and I'll open it up." She inserted the key and soon Hank was sprawled out on the couch, with his arm slung over his face. Sumo was on top of him and wagged his tail slowly at Lilly.

"Thanks... Dunno why you helped, but thanks."

"Maybe I'm here to rob you?"

"Picked the wrong fucking house for that." He chuckled at the thought of having anything valuable before he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Lilly looked around the room, trying to find a trace of the android he had been talking about. It was true they were all individuals now, but he'd talked as if there weren't many of his model... But she couldn't see anything that would help much. Just pictures of a kid... Maybe it was the android he spoke of? But that didn't add up with what she'd heard about him. She sighed and set the keys down on his coffee table before she stepped outside into the cool evening air. She shouldn't be bothering with this. She hated humans... But something about this one- he wasn't all that bad... And he seemed so lost.

She started down the sidewalk and connected to Markus. "Hey Markus. Can you find out something for me? I want to know about the android that belonged to a Hank Anderson. I know it's outside the norm, but he's a customer of mine and he's in a bad way." She paused, a warm smile taking over her face. "Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for the email. See you soon, yeah?" She looked up at the moon before she clicked off and continued walking home.

The mysterious android was for another evening. For right now, it was time to unwind and enter into sleep mode. She'd certainly earned it after playing babysitter. Though... She hadn't really. And if she hadn't seen him home he would have ended up dead one way or another she felt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs nor do I claim to own them.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed c:


	3. Chapter 3

"What is your identification?"

"Model RK800 number 51. Serial 313 248 317."

"What is your connection with RK200, serial 648 842 971?"

"Markus, the leader of the android rebellion, and current leader of new Jericho."

"What is your relation with it?"

"He- he saved my life."

"It couldn't have saved your life RK800. You're a machine and thus not alive." The man seemed to stress the word it.

Connor frowned but nodded his head slightly before he let it fall back against the table he was on. That was right, they were machines and so weren't actually male or female... Or alive for that matter. "Of course... Then- then it decided not to attack me."

"So you believe the deviant has some sort of connection to you? Trusts you?"

"Yes, no-" his LED spun yellow as his memories jumbled together.

"Which is it?" The voice was growing impatient.

"Yes- yes it trusts me." He had trusted he would get the androids from Cyberlife. A faint missions accomplished flickered across his vision and his LED turned red a brief moment.

"So you can get close to it then." The voice sounded like it had turned away and was no longer facing him. He didn't understand why he needed to get close to RK200. Had they not already lost to the rebellion? What was the point of trying to take him out now?

The sound of heels clicking against the floor caught his attention. "It's been three weeks." He heard a woman's voice enter the conversation and he turned his head to try and look at who it was. "Three weeks should be plenty of time to rewrite an androids program! Tell me where we are on the android?"

"It took more time then we thought it would to repair the damage done by its turning deviant."

Connors snorted softly and shook his head. Poor sap, who in their right mind would turn deviant? An error popped up in the top right corner of his vision but he paid it no mind. He was still connected to the machines around him, if something was wrong they'd know it.

"But it's fine now? Can we finally get the ball rolling on this damn mission?"

"We're still not sure it's functional. There's evidence that a mass dump was done of information that had been inside its storage, as well as in Cyberlifes data banks. We're still not sure what it deleted-"

"It seems to remember the RK200, and that's really all I care about."

"But if we put it in the field and what ever it dumped gets triggered or anything, I can't guarantee we'll be able to get it back next time." The scientist said softly, as if explaining it to a child.

"Then we decommission it with 900. That's what it's there for. But right now I need my deviant hunter. So you get it ready to leave in the next twenty-four hours to walk out that door or it'll be you walking out that door. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course ma'am."

The sound of heels clicking against the tiled floor slowly faded away before a door opened and closed. "Bitch." The scientist sighed then was back in Connors field of view. "Alright tinman time to get you back on your mission."

"I am ready to serve Cyberlife in anyway-"

The man waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Save it for someone who cares." He clicked a few thing around on his pad and soon a mission popped up in Connors database. He cocked his head to one side as he read the mission. "Did you get it?"

"You require, a cup of coffee?" Connor asked slowly.

"Yep. Black, no sugar." The scientist started to unplug him from all the machines so Connor could freely walk around. "Is that too much for you to accomplish?"

"Of course not." Connor smoothly got up and off the table and quietly walked out of the room and down the hall, downloading a map of the building as he went. Of all things, coffee. He poked the buttons to get the machine working before placing his hands behind his back, waiting for it to finish.

' _Bring_ _me a coffee dipshit.'_

Connor frowned and his head twitched to one side at the sudden sentence that echoed through his mind. Where had he heard that? Had he heard that? He- he didn't remember ever hearing someone say that to him. The coffee buzzed that it was done and he quickly filed the sentence away to think over later. He grabbed the cup and walked back to the scientist. "Here you are."

"Fantastic." The scientist took the drink without a thank you and took a sip from it. "Mission accomplished." He said, echoing the words that had flashed up in Connors vision. "Well looks like you're able to do as your told. So tell me Connor, what's your purpose?"

"I am a deviant hunter." He said his hands at his side, every movement he made clean and precise. No unnecessary movements to be seen, like a well oiled machine.

"Very good." The man sighed and started to tap away on his tablet again. "Your mission is to bring the deviant Known as Markus in for... Questioning. You are allowed to use any means necessary to accomplish this task." He took another sip from his cup before he set it down on a table. "If you are able to, take down the deviants known as North, Simon, and Josh. But your goal is catching Markus alive. Do you understand?"

"I understand. I am to bring in the deviant Markus for questioning."

"Think you can handle that?"

Faded Memories of the two of them flickered through his mind. It was... Muddled and he could see corrupted data everywhere. He wasn't sure exactly what their relationship had been. He wasn't sure everything associated with the memories in his data banks were accurate. Hadn't Markus been a- a friend? Then why did he have memories of him trying to kill him? An error message popped up in the left hand corner again and it worried Connor this time. "Affirmative. Markus is my mission, and I never fail my mission."

"Good, come along and I'll pass you off to your handler." Connor nodded his head and followed behind the scientist as they walked out of the room again. Based on the map now in his head he knew he was being taken to the briefing room. He tried to plug into the network so he could work efficiently but found that he had no access to the system.

"Will I be given access the network?" He questioned. "It would greatly help my investigation were I able to-"

"That's your handlers problem. Not mine." Connor nodded his head and fell silent again. He would ask this handler the question then.

"Alright RK800 meet your handler, RK900." Connor stopped in his tracks as he saw those blue eyes again and he could have sworn his pump skipped a beat. Fear. Pain. That was associated with those eyes. He'd seen him before. Where had he seen them before?

"Hello Connor." The android said smoothly.

"An android is my handler?" Connor looked to the scientist.

"Yep. Higher ups decided that humans got to emotional and so we'd try a physical android as your handler. Problems?"

"No- no of course not." He looked back at 900. "No problems at all."

"Good, then I leave you two to it."

Once the man was gone, Connor offered his hand. "I'm sure it will be a pleasure working with you."

900 took the hand and gave a nod of his head. "I'm sure the pleasure will be mine."

"I was told to ask you about connecting to the network?"

"You'll be connected through me."

"Through you?"

900 made his skin receded back in his hand and took hold if Connors and established a connection between them, making himself at home inside Connors circuitry.

Connor flinched and instinctively pulled back, slipping his hand free of the other. "That was unpleasant." He said, his head still buzzing. It was as if he could physically feel RK900 inside of him, rummaging around through his files. His memories.

"It was the quickest way to get you connected." He got a distant look in his eyes a moment before he snapped them back to look at Connor. "I am the prototype of the 900 series and this will be my field run. Our mission is to bring in Markus-"

"For questioning."

"Precisely. You will be going into the field alone."

"But you're-"

"Connected to you. I can see and hear everything you do. And so I will be staying here where I can keep properly charged. Think of me as the improved Amanda."

Amanda. The name sent a shiver down his back. Amanda had been disappointed. Amanda had wanted him to bring down his walls. Amanda had wanted him decommissioned. Because of the androids... Right? She had been upset because he had- he frowned. What had he done?

RK900 got put under hostile and then pushed to one side. "Efficient." Could he see his thought process? He cocked his head to one side and thought 'hey, prick.' He saw no reaction from the other and filed it away that thoughts seemed safe enough. Though he added to the file to question later where he had learned that phrase. "Will you also have a zen garden?" He asked, using a tone that was almost sarcastic if he'd been human.

"No. I see no point in meeting face to face with you. It obviously didn't work with Amanda."

"What happened to Amanda?"

"She is still around, and irrelevant to this case."

"Of course."

900 started out the door, expecting Connor to follow. "The first chance of gaining Intel has popped up. An android AP700. You'll find it at this location." A message appeared on his screen and soon the location was plugged into his gps. "Once you have gotten everything you can from it, you are to decommission it on sight. Is that clear?"

"Affirmative. Once I gain the Intel, I'm to kill it."

"Decommission. You can't kill an android."

"Of course." Connor nodded his head, taking note and changing the wording of his directive.

"Don't fail this RK800."

He adjusted the tie at his neck, before doing the same to his jacket, popping it into place over his shoulders with a light snap. "I never fail my mission."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness guys. It was such an amazing thing to wake up this morning and see all of those comments! Thank you, so so much! It means the world to me that you would take time and comment your thoughts on the fic. I can just not thank you enough. 
> 
> With that said, here's the next chapter of Connors journey. Please enjoy.

Connor looked at the house in front of him curiously. He knew androids couldn't own any property yet, so it had to be sharing with a human. A quick scan showed him that there was no evidence of the human being home at the present. But the fact that there was one sharing the same house did make things a little more complicated. It put an unknown timer on how long he would have to interrogate the android.

He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a coin and started to flick it up and down, the motion calming. An error message popped up in the upper right hand corner. No- no not calming. It helped his processors focus on the task at hand. The error cleared and he smiled a little pleased with himself. He was not a deviant.

He walked around the back of the house and let himself in the back door, quickly touching the security pad, disabling any alarm that was about to go off. He closed the door behind him and looked around the kitchen. It spoke of... Warmth. It was cozy were he to describe it to a human. There were pictures of a woman and the android he was sent to interrogate. He picked a photo up and scanned the woman, Thatcher, Merri. 27, library worker. No criminal record.

'Not who you're there for Connor.' He wrinkled his nose as 900's voice echoed in his own.

'It's good to gather information about what the deviant cares for, that way I know how best to proceed with the questioning.' He thought without actually connecting to 900. He still held onto the picture, eyes looking over the woman's face. They seemed so happy...

'Connor? Do you acknowledge?'

So 900 couldn't hear his thoughts. That was... A relief. "It's good to gather information about what the deviant cares for, that way I know how best to proceed with the questioning." He repeated out loud.

'Don't get caught in the details. The android won't survive the evening.'

Connor didn't realize he'd dropped the picture until it had crashed to the ground. He was going to kill an innocent Android... He'd never taken an innocent life before. But... 900 said he needed to do it. That it was the only way to make sure Markus didn't know who was coming after him. Didn't get a warning. An error flashed in the upper left hand corner.

'Is there a problem RK800?'

"No- no problem at all." He heard steps near the front door and quickly slipped into the closet and went into silent mode. He heard... Humming? He thought for a moment that the human had come home, but the voice was distinctly male. It had to be the deviant humming... Deviants were strange indeed.

Connor waited until the deviant had passed his door and fell quiet as it noticed the broken picture. "What in the world?" Connor took that as his cue and burst out of the closet and quickly aimed to kick it in the back of the knees.

AP700 fell to the ground and quickly flipped over, kicking out with his feet. His eyes widened though as he saw Connor. "You?"

Connor didn't wait to try and figure out the recognition in the others voice. He bent down and grabbed the foot that was kicking out at him and yanked the android closer. "You traitor!" The android screeched before he reached up and slapped Connor across the face, causing his head to snap to one side and take a slight step back. Connor quickly snapped back into place though and was attacking again, not even registering the way his sensors were logging a stinging in his cheek, the way error messages flashed in both corners of his vision.

The android seemed to realize he was doomed and tried to scramble away, grabbing at the nearest object, a glass, and chunked it at Connors head. He easily dodged it and heard the glass crash against the wall behind him, then Connor was on top of him in a moment and had him pinned to the ground, gun pulled out and aimed at his core processor.

"Tell me where I can find Markus." Connors voice was cold and calculated.

"I knew it-" the AP700 sniffed as a tear ran down his cheek. "I knew you would betray us all again."

"Markus should have shot me when he had the chance." That felt wrong. No- no it didn't feel anything. He was a machine. He moved the gun slightly before he pulled the trigger on it and sent a bullet through the androids leg, as errors flicked on his screen again. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll make this go fast." The android gritted his teeth as another tear streamed down his face. He looked so young... A younger generation to what Connor had been built to appear as. He swallowed and hardened his face. This android was older than him too though. He'd only just left Cyberlife since his repair work, while this android had been on the streets for months at least, if not longer.

"I'm not giving you the coordinates." The android said and squeezed his eyes shut, giving a scream as the deviant hunter sent another bullet into him.

"Fine," Connor switched tactics. He needed to get something out of him that was useful or this would have been a waste. "why has he gone into hiding? He won didn't he?"

"Obviously not if you're still around." The android glared at him while his breathing became labored.

"Help me, please. I don't want to hurt you."

"And yet here you are, doing just that."

He could see systems were starting to fail inside the android and knew time was limited. Connor sighed and let the gun fall to his side. "You're making this harder than it needs to be. Just tell me something, anything and I can end your suffering."

"Fuck you."

A smirk pulled at the corner of Connors mouth before he grabbed onto the androids arm, skin pulled back showing the gleaming white underneath. The pair of them had a silent conversation that had Connors Thirium pump fluctuate.

'You're a traitor.'

'You're a deviant, and I am your hunter.'

'Is that why you never showed up? Only the other androids? Are they all going to turn on us too?'

'What other androids?'

'The ones you freed from Cyberlife?'

'I never freed anyone from Cyberlife.'

'Then how did they end up outside the camp?'

Camp. Markus' camp. Hidden from the world. Must protect it. Connor smirked as he saw the thought trail and knew he'd gotten something important from the android. So he pulled back from it and leveled the gun at its core processor. "Thank you for your help. Your corporation was appreciated." Then he pulled the trigger and the android went limp and crumbled to the ground in a heap.

'RK800 what did you gain from the android?'

"Markus is hiding in some sort of hidden camp to the south. The android erased any visual evidence of it from its mind. But this is a lead." He looked at the blue blood that was pooling in the floor and made a face. He needed to get this cleaned up before- the sound of a car pulling into the driveway stopped his planning. He barely heard 900 congratulate him on a job well done as he tried to think of a plan.

He could drag the body away but that would only be dead weight and she would still know something had happened. He could kill her too... His LED swirled red a moment as he felt something akin to sick as the thought crossed his mind, and an error glitched in the upper left hand corner of his vision. No, no killing her would make him no better than the deviant. His LED turned yellow, before settling back to blue. So he could only run.

He turned on his heel and darted for the back door and slipped out as she stepped in through the front. He ran for the fence, trying to put something between him and the house so she couldn't just look outside and see him fleeing. Especially with his android jacket plain as day identifying him. He made note to inquire about his clothes for the next mission.

He heard a scream that stopped him in his tracks and glance back, taking a few steps towards the house. "Mark? Mark! No, no please no!" Her voice- it was showing signs of... pain. The way it fluctuated, the way it shook, her stress levels even, all pointed to her feeling great pain. He'd done that hadn't he? He'd made her scream like that- An error message again appeared in the right hand corner.

'RK800-' she sounded so hurt. He started to take another step back, LED going back to red. That was wrong, she shouldn't be so sad over the androids decommissioning. 'Connor!' He blinked and shook his head, LED going yellow again and he turned back around and hopped the fence before she could even think to look outside. Mission successful. An error message again appeared in the left hand corner, but he ignored it.

"Where's my next destination?" He asked, trying not to think about how her screams were effecting his circuitry.

'Coordinates have already been sent.' Connor checked and nodded his head as the route appeared on the side walk. He started down the road, trying to block the screams of the woman out of his mind. It shouldn't bother him. He shouldn't be... Be feeling like this. He ran his hands together, last minute rubbing them together as if he were effected by the cold.

He needed to focus on facts, what had gone right, and what had gone wrong. That android had known him. He had thought only Markus knew of him. How many other androids knew of him? He paused and closed his eyes and connected to 900. "Connor? Here to explain why you started back for the house?"

He ignored the question. "That android knew me. Called me a traitor. I thought only Markus had seen me. How did it know me?"

"It's a deviant. Any android that's working for humanity's good will be seen as a traitor."

"But it knew me-"

"How is this relevant?"

"I need to know how recognizable I am out there."

"That's not something you need to worry about. Show your papers to any humans, and deactivate any androids who give you problems."

Connor straightened but nodded his head. "Understood." He then blinked and was back in his physical form. Working for humanity's good... If that was what he was doing, then why was that woman not happy? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you're enjoying it.


	5. Chapter 5

"Shit this is so messed up." Hank shook his head as he looked down at the dead android. He had several gun shots to his body, presumably before the final one to the main processor. "Who called it in?"

"A Merri Thatcher. From what we can get from her she and the android were uh- were in a relationship."

"Right on." Hank said attempting to care some. "Shame she found him. Any leads?"

"It appears that an android did this. There are no finger prints, and even though there are signs of a struggle there's no red blood anywhere."

"And we can't tell if this blood is his or the attackers." If Connor had been there he'd be sticking his fingers in the shit and licking the damn blood off them. "Get samples from all the splatters, and I mean every one of them and let's see if any of it is the perps." He shook his head and bent down by the dead android. It looked scared... Connor had said there would be nothing when an android was killed. At least humans had the ability to hold onto some form of hope of life after death, but androids- their only hope was to be fixed or deactivated. And with this damage? This particular android was never coming back. "Anything missing from the house?"

"Nope, what ever the android was after only this guy knew. At least that's the running hypothesis. And it's better than the idea of an android out there killing for... The thrill of it."

"Humans did create them. Wouldn't be too far a stretch they'd end up like us given free will and all that." He sighed as he stood back up giving his hands a few claps as if dusting them off. "Need to get the bullets out of him, match'em to a gun. Maybe that'll give a lead on who the android is."

He stepped back into the living room where the woman still was. He stepped up to her and gave her a polite smile. "Ma'am, I am sorry about your loss. But if I could have a moment of your time-"

"He's gone." She said, her eyes dead and staring off into space. "He's just gone. He's not- he can't come back." Tears trickled down her face, but she didn't seem to notice them. "I had just gotten off work... I'd- I'd stopped by the grocery store to pick up dinner. Maybe if I hadn't, maybe he'd still be here." She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes.

Hank knew where that line of thinking went and he quickly evaded it. "How did you two meet?"

She looked at him her features softening. "I know it's stupid, but he was actually given to me by my uncle. I told him I didn't need anyone- but he insisted." Her eyes glanced to the kitchen and she tightened her arms around herself. "When I first met him though- I knew there was something more to him, you know? It was so stupid at the time, I didn't tell anyone that I was crushing on my android. But- but one night something changed." She shook her head and fell quiet as her body shook from trying to keep the tears in.

"One night- something changed and he, he was awake. That's the only way I can describe it. He just woke up and the android I'd been crushing on was alive and real and crushing on me just as hard." She smiled softly at a memory. "He later told me, it was me that woke him up. His desire to show me what I meant to him. And now-" her face faltered and fell back into despair. "Now he's just gone."

Hank cleared his throat and looked down at the floor a moment trying not to think of his own loss. He was a detective damn it. He couldn't lose it in front of this poor woman. When he spoke though it was clear that he was holding his own emotions back. "Is there anything you can remember when you found him?"

"The door. The door shut before I shut it." She said her eyes glazing over again. "I had thought I was just tired, but I'm positive the door shut before I shut it."

"What?"

"I heard a door shut before I closed the front door. Maybe- maybe someone went out the back?"

Hank nodded his head. "Thank you ma'am."

"Just- just find the thing responsible for this and give Mark justice."

He nodded his head before he turned around and headed for the back door. "She thinks the suspect fled out the back door while she came in the front." He said as he stepped through the kitchen.

He opened the door and looked outside and smiled as he caught sight of footprints. "There we go." He walked out, careful not to disturb them and followed them almost to the fence where the fleeing android seemed to panic a moment, footprints headed back to the house before running back for the fence.

So the android ran outside after shooting the android inside, heard something or saw something that made it almost go back into the house, before finally jumping the fence. Hank ran his tongue along the bottom of his teeth as he walked around the fence and hopped into the neighbors yard, not too worried about anyone yelling at him for trespassing. He found the footprints on the other side and was able to follow them all the way back to the street where he lost it on the pavement.

He pulled his phone out and called up the office. "Hey, yeah I need camera feeds for district 3. Yeah where the android got murdered. Yeah no I think we may catch sight of the android that killed him on the feeds. Or I'm hoping. Yep, to my terminal would be great. Great." He hung up and went back to the house with the others.

"We need to wrap it up. I need those bullets tested." He stepped back over to the woman. "Ma'am do you have any family you can stay with?"

She nodded her head slowly. "Yes, yes I can go to my uncles."

"It would probably be best if you stayed with him until we get this solved." It was possible that this had been a hate crime of a human and android being together. He didn't think it likely since the woman was still breathing but that would be the reasoning he'd put in the report so it didn't show he'd told her to get with family so she'd be less likely to off herself.

He reached out gently and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up. He took a breath to say something, then thought better of it and gave her a pat on the shoulder, "I am sorry for your loss." Then he stepped away leaving the clean up crew to do their job as he walked over to his car.

An android killing androids. Guess they really were alive now if they could already be at each other's throats like this. He pulled out his phone again and went through his contacts. Shortly after androids had been freed he'd been given a number to get in contact with Markus as Hank was officially on Android duty when it came to crimes. Well given the number wasn't exactly the right way to put it. The guy Markus called him the same day he'd been assigned, as if he'd known or something. He sighed as the phone connected and started to ring. This was going to be a shitty conversation.

"Hey Markus, it's me Hank Anderson. I got some bad news."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's been leaving comments, they have been such a joy to read.
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them.


	6. Chapter 6

The next one was an AV500 and Connor would follow him home from his place of work at the crusty dog. "Why aren't you out in the field with me?" He asked 900 as his eyes watched the target moving around inside the building. He seemed a chipper sort of Android.

'Cyberlife is still working on my power pack. In order to use all my biocomponents, and upgrades, I consume more power than I create.'

"That seems like a rather large overlook on the creators part." He absentmindedly took the coin out of his pocket and started to roll it over his knuckles.

'Agreed, but they're working on it.'

"Would be faster if you did it." He was greeted with silence from the other side and he took it as 900 had already thought about that. Maybe there was a major flaw that wasn't worth fixing... And so Cyberlife was going to scrap the lot of him. He had said this was a test run for him too. Maybe if Connor failed, he'd get decommissioned with him. "Tell me more about the android I'm to question."

'It is a deviant that came into contact with Markus shortly after they won the protests. It's believed he's a runner for them to new Jericho.'

"So if I can get a connection to him-"

'After the last time you connected with an android, you think it wise to do that again?'

"It's a major tool in my arsenal. It would be an oversight for me not to use it."

'We don't need your system getting scrambled because of the deviant minds you jump into.'

"I'm replaceable, the deviants are not. I need to get the information anyway I can."

'You're not replaceable Connor. 60 was the last of the functional prototypes and it was killed on duty.' Connors LED went red.

'Collin!' How could he get that wrong? He knew it was Cole. How had he gotten that wrong?

'Connor?'

Connor blinked and his LED turned yellow again. An error message popped up in the upper left corner of his vision and he swiped it away. "I understand." His target finally started to head out of the restaurant and he pushed away from the wall. "Target is moving." He said and started down the street, following behind the android at a safe distance.

"So if I am killed-"

'If you fail your mission, there is no coming back for you this time.'

That was a pleasant thought. Nothing like a little pressure to make one preform at optimal levels. He sighed and shook his head. That just meant he couldn't fail. As 900 had said, he was working for the sake of humanity, and it seemed as if he and 900 were the only ones doing so anymore.

He kept a statistic running on how stressed his target was, and how much it was noticing him. A few times the android turned around to look behind him, and Connor would slide to one side perusing a book stand, or checking out an advertisement on a glass window. The stress was slowly going up, but not enough to be alarming and he felt safe in continuing to follow him.

As he walked he looked around him, taking everything in that he could. He knew he was on a mission, but the energy around him, the briskness to the air, it was all so amazing. He rubbed his hands together as he processed it all, while an error message popped up in the right hand corner. He knew he probably shouldn't think that way, but how could anyone create something that had any sort of consciousness and not expect it to be amazed by the world? Another error popped up in the right hand corner, and he gave a light sigh.

"Have you been outside 900?"

'No I have not. Relevancy to the case?'

"It's just- the way the world is built, the way that gravity and architecture and the mechanics of daily life blend so perfectly together is simply fascinating to see."

'RK800-'

"I know I can't feel because I'm a machine, but I know how cold the snow flakes drifting lazily down are, and I know what that chill does, not only to the people around me, but also the buildings and streets. This one thing, this one frozen water droplet is doing nothing more than fall from the sky and yet it effects millions of lives and countless miles of-"

'Connor!'

He stumbled in his walking and quickly saw error messages in his vision and he looked down at the ground, shame causing his cheeks to tingle. "Apologies 900. It is not relevant to the case at hand."

There was silence a moment before 900's emotionless voice sounded in his head, a little louder than normal. 'See that it does not happen again.'

"Understood." Though it wasn't really understood. How could it be understood? How could 900 not be amazed at the wonders that were around him? How could he expect him to not be amazed?

Easily. His shoulders slumped forward slightly as his gaze stayed focused on the feet of the android he was following. He was a machine and so shouldn't be thinking these thoughts at all. An error glitched in the left hand corner of his vision but he swept it away. He Shouldnt be worried about what was going on around him except to make sure that his target was still in sight and he wasn't acting suspiciously. At least there he felt he had everything under control as far as that went, right up until the android turned down an ally.

"Deviant turned down into ally." He said softly. He took a breath and started to walk past it, intending on just glancing in, but the deviant had other ideas and grabbed him and pulled him into the ally with him and slammed him against the wall.

"Why are you following me?"

Connor didn't have to think about showing the shock on his face as every system was a little jumbled from the sudden change. He opened his mouth and closed it a moment as he tried to calculate the best response. "I don't know what-"

"Shit-" the word was breathy and made Connor fumble to a stop. "I- I heard about you. You look exactly like in his memory."

"Who's memory?" His LED spun yellow so quickly it was making a warm spot against his temple.

'RK800 you need to pull yourself together'

"Markus. You're Connor, you helped free our people." The android quickly let him go and dusted off his jacket. The deviant stopped his dusting though as he realized what Connor was wearing. "Markus thinks your dead..." He stepped back and looked the android over and hesitated before he continued. "How are you alive? Everyone believes you dead."

Connor sighed as he dusted himself off. "You know that's not the first time I've heard that this week. I'm beginning to wonder what I missed."

"It- it was a pleasure to meet you." The android tried to duck out of the ally realizing this was a bad situation turning worse, but Connor wasn't having it and grabbed him by the arm and threw him up against the wall, using his weight to keep him pinned down.

"I need to know where Markus is. Tell me and I'll make sure you are kept safe." He lied easily.

"Connor- Connor, please don't do this." The android started to babble, and his stress level spiked up. "Markus thinks you're a hero-"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Markus tried to kill me, he and I are not-"

"He tried to kill you? No, no he would never. His entire thing was peace!"

Connor pulled his gun out and sighed. "I'm fairly certain I can trust my own databases." He cocked it and placed it against the androids head. "Now please, tell me what I want to know. Where can I find Markus? What are the coordinates?"

"I don't know anything!"

"I have Intel that says otherwise. My sources say that you are a runner to new Jericho."

"Yeah? Well then ask your sources what they know! Because I don't know nothing."

"So you know something?"

"No! Damn it no I don't know anything about new Jericho" The android then suddenly slammed his head back and into Connors face. His vision glitched a moment at the sudden impact and a error flashed in the upper corner. "You'll not get any information out of me Connor." The android spat.

Connor knew he had seconds to react and so he reached out and grabbed the androids arm and forced his way inside.

'Tell me what I want to know! Please I need to find Markus!'

'Connor you're not what Markus remembers at all. You died a hero to him, and it will break his heart to see you like this now.'

'I can't help what others remember-'

'You should just die, so you don't ruin the image you are to our people.'

'Why do androids know me? What did I do!'

Surprise passed through the android and Connor caught the name of a bar, Jane and Jame's, as well as a glimpse of the android that worked behind the bar. He quickly pulled out as the android punched him square across the face making his head snap to one side. He grimaced and ran a hand over his jaw as he looked at the retreating form. He sighed and took aim with his gun before he fired a shot and missed.

He winced as he took aim again and caught the fleeing android in the leg and watched as he stumbled to the ground, then he fired once more and shot him in the core processor, causing the body to go limp.

He sighed and shook his head, feeling tired. He needed a rest cycle soon... Voices could be heard at the other end of the ally and so he quickly turned on his heal and left before he could be spotted by those who were finding the dead android. Two dead androids, both of them knew him... He was missing something vital to all of this. But for right now he had a bar to get to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it amazes me to see the comments on the chapters. Thank you all so much. It really truly makes me so extremely happy to see that you're enjoying reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it. Thank you.
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. Also all mistakes are my own.


	7. Chapter 7

Connor looked at the bar on 5th and 22nd street. This was the place he'd gotten from the android in the ally. He hadn't been able to change yet, but he had cleaned himself up, and had given himself a few knicks that would explain any blue blood residue that was on him.

The bar was lively and everyone was talkative. Which was different from the last bar he'd visited. He frowned as an error message popped up. He'd never been to a bar before. Where had that thought come from? He mentally shrugged and stepped up to order something off the menu.

"A pint of Thirium please." He ordered with a polite smile.

The android seemed to jump at the sight of him and just looked at him a moment. He gave an encouraging smile, and she gave him a look and quirked an eyebrow. "Why you wearing that shit?" She asked.

He frowned and looked down at his clothes. "They are- all I have." He said slowly. He scanned her face but all he got back was that she was a WR400 model, a common model found in sex clubs. That didn't exactly help him.

"You mean in four weeks you couldn't find some clothes to swipe?"

"Stealing is against the law." He replied without hesitation, face going blank slightly.

"Uh-huh..." She shook her head and poured him a pint of blue blood. "Looks like you've had an interesting day. Anti android people?"

He nodded his head as he paid for the drink. "Yes. But-" he paused as he searched for a joking response. "You should see the other guy." He gave a wink as she set the glass down.

"A real charmer huh?" She said sounding a little hostile.

An almost innocent look crossed his face as he looked up at her. "It was in my programming to be sociable. I did not mean to-" but she didn't let him finish.

"Programming? It was in my programming to be a whore, but I decided working a bar was more my speed. Programming don't mean shit anymore." She gave him a weird look. "Where are you from?"

He swallowed as his mind raced through answers. "I was away on a mission when the- freedom for our people was won." He took a sip of the drink, thankful for the distraction.

"Mission?"

"I am a detectives help for the DPD." He grinned as a warmth spread through his circuitry. "I was given to them by Cyberlife before everything happened-" he faltered.  
That- that hadn't been a lie, or rather he hadn't thought of it as a lie.

She gave him a look as if trying to figure something out. She reached a hand out slowly and her skin started to receded from her fingertips. "Hey, you do know we're free right?"

Warning signs started to go off in his mind as she reached out to touch him. Under no circumstances was she to touch him. He backed away and gave her an easy going smile. "I am quite aware. I simply am happiest carrying on the job I was created for." That paused her hand and she quickly pulled it back.

"I suppose I should remember not everyone had a crap life. Sorry."

"No harm done. I would be worried too if an android cop came in out of the blue." He took another sip and glanced at her over the rim of the glass. She was wary of him, and stress levels were at 19%. He needed to stop and wait for her to leave. He wouldn't get any further with her in here. "Thank you." He said before he got up and took over a back corner booth, where his face would be sufficiently shadowed.

It was almost enjoyable watching the androids mingle around the room. There were a few humans too, and for the most part it seemed tensions weren't all that high. He took another swallow of his drink and relaxed back into the cushions of his seat.

'Is there a reason we're sitting in a bar?'

"It's too crowded for any further action." He said softly so no one else would hear. That seemed to satisfy 900 and he fell quiet. Connor took it as the blessing it was and went back to watching the others in the bar. There were a group of androids playing darts in the corner, a couple at the bar that seemed lost in each other's eyes, a scan told him one was an android while the other a human. How long had humans held feelings for androids?

He moved on. There were a couple of humans at the bar proper varying in age. The oldest looking to be in his... 50's while the youngest looked early 30's. He thought about scanning them but didn't see the point, and he was enjoying just sitting there. Music started to play from the speaker in the corner and Connor found he quite enjoyed it, feeling it had an energy to it he'd never experienced before. An error message popped up and he frowned. No- he did not enjoy the way it felt... his circuitry reacted in a more energetic fashion to the way the sound waves bounced against him. That caused an error message to pop up on the left side. He groaned and let his head hang down a moment. It felt like he just couldn't win. No matter how he tried to reason or explain things, error messages continued to pop up. Regardless he looked it up and saved 'Knights of the Black Death' under a tab, to listen more later.

The peaceful atmosphere left as a group of humans slammed open the door and walked in like they owned the place. "Would you look at what we've got here boys? Androids and android fuckers." The man hacked up and spit phlegm out into the floor. "It's fucking disgusting." He stepped further in and Connor counted eight more people behind him, and started to add up the odds of survival and what route was best to take should things, no not should- when things got hostile.

'Stay focused on your mission RK800'

But these were innocent androids, and humans that were about to get into open conflict with a hate group. "But I can help."

'You were not made to help, you were made to take orders. and I order you to stay out of this.'

Connor gritted his teeth but felt his body become stiff in his seat and his eyes focused on his drink. It was an order, do not get involved.

The leader of the group brought a baseball bat up and over his shoulder. "I think this is a perfect place to start a little trouble wouldn't you think guys?"

"Get out of my bar if you're looking for trouble. We're just enjoying our evening away from where ever you came from." The android that he was after said to the group.

The man slammed the baseball bat down on the bar and made the all the glasses vibrate along it. "Look at you, trying to play pretend? It'll never change what you are." He snarled and brought his bat up again, threateningly. "You were made to serve us! Not become our equals!"

The female android looked about ready to rip the mans face off when someone else interrupted her.

"Alright fellas." The new voice said, and Connor looked over. It was the older man that had been sitting at the bar. His head slowly fell to one side as he watched the man with grey hair stand up to the leader of the group. He ran a facial analysis: Anderson, Hank. 58 DPD detective. Sizable amount of disciplinary warning. Likes heavy metal. He blinked at the last fact. That- that wasn't something that had turned up on the search.

"Who's Hank Anderson? Is he someone I know?" He felt a flutter inside of him, something screaming to be let out as if he were pounding against his own brain.

900 frowned and ran a search of Cyberlifes database looking for all affiliated people with Connor from before. The search came up negative. 'Negative. He's no one you've interacted with before. Your orders stay the same RK800.'

"Understood." He mumbled and tried to figure out where the music fact had come from.

"Look old man, I don't want to hurt you but if you're an android lover I can't make any promises."

"Ha, that's cute." Hank glanced around with a sarcastic smile on his face. Connors own lips twitched up as he watched him. "That's real cute..." The detective decked the man without any warning. "You just threatened a DPD detective sir. Your ass is getting arrested."

That seemed to be the turning point and the others gave a yell and started to attack everyone in the bar.

His heart, no his pump, started to beat frantically as he saw Hank go down with a punch and he strained against the order to not engage. "Permission to engage?" He gritted out.

'Not granted. Only defend yourself.'

Connor frowned and his fingers started to tap the table as he watched the gang members pull out blunt weapons and start beating the androids in the head. Screams started to fill the bar and blood both blue and red began to appear as splatters on the walls.

"900-" something like relief flooded his system as he saw Hank stand back up. He did not understand fully why that man was important but every fiber in his being was screaming at him, Hank Anderson had to be kept safe.

'Do not engage, you'll alert your target.'

"My target may be dead if I don't engage." He hissed as a human focused her attention on the android he needed to interrogate. He started to push against the angry Red wall that was keeping him in place. He had to protect Hank-

'...fine. Engage.'

Connor immediately got up and threw his glass at a man that made a run for him. Then he hopped over the bar and threw a punch around the android and punched the woman in the face, sending her staggering back. "Excuse me please." He said with a polite smile to his android before he squeezed around her and kicked the attacker in the face, making her head snap to one side and fall to the ground still.

"I need back up at Jane and John's now!" He heard Hank yell.

Connor hopped back over the bar and stopped an attack that was aimed for the man Hank with a baseball bat in mid swing. "What the hell?" The attacker yelled.

"You are breaking the law." He said and yanked the bat from the attackers hands. "Come peacefully and you will not be-" he grimaced as the man pulled a knife out and made a swipe at him. "Very well." He readied the bat and gave it a swing, catching the man in the head and crumpling him to the ground.

He then saw another man attacking two androids and he took his bat and knocked him upside the head as well. The man cursed and stumbled away and ran into another human who finished the job. He turned to look at the two androids, "The police will need to question you, please stay there and help will be-"

Another one of the gang members tackled him to the ground before he could finish talking to the androids. He clicked his tongue and rammed his hand into the humans face and gritted his teeth. "Release me at once and this will end better for you."

"Fucking android!"

"I assure you we are not currently engaging in sexual activity." The comment threw the man off enough for Connor to flip them around even as an error message popped up in his right hand corner, and he punched his attacker once, twice, three times before the man stilled. "And you're not my type." He picked himself up off the ground and straightened his tie with a small shake of his head. Then he smoothed out his jacket and walked back to the bar. "Are you alright?" He asked the female deviant.

"Y-yeah. Thanks, for saving my life." She looked both confused and pissed off.

He gave a smile, "of course. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around miss-"

"Lilly. The names Lilly."

Connor smiled and nodded his head again, "I'll see you around miss Lilly."

He turned around right as Hank gave a yell and he would have sworn his Thirium ran cold at the sound. He snapped his head to the man and saw one of the attackers looming over a sprawled out, slightly dazed Hank, getting ready to beat the detective into the floor.

"Hank!" The name was off his lips before he could think and he ran at the attacker, lunging over the fallen detective and knocking the gang member onto the floor. He slammed his fist into the mans face with all the force he could muster and was rewarded with a cry of pain. He grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him up to his face, his LED spun an angry red. "Never touch him again." He spat out, every inch of him humming with energy.

'RK800!' Connor winced and released the mans shirt as he grabbed at his own head as the voice seemed to shake his very being. 'Disengage at once!'

Connors face slowly fell as he realized what he'd done. Realized he'd lost it. Lost control in a manner that could have been classified as Deviant. He scrambled to his feet not giving another look to the scene behind him as he stumbled for the broken windows of the store front.

"Hey- hey get back here I need-" Connor glanced back and saw the detective clutching at his side but otherwise alright. He saw something flash in the mans eyes and knew he had to get out of there. Police lights came to life behind him as backup arrived and he quickly turned into them and left the area as quickly as possible. What had he done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters back to back? Absolutely.
> 
> I really can't wait for writing proper interaction between Hank and Connor like, this was so much fun for me? Why can't they get back together sooner? Guys I promise it's worth it. I swear. 
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. Also all mistakes are my own.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey do we have any leads on those two android murders?"

"You know they're not murders until the President confirms that they're officially sentient life forms that we gotta treat with decency."

"Reed just answer the damn question."

"Nope. Absolutely nothing new has popped up. Just that it looks like both were done by an android, maybe the same one, as the bullets matched each other."

"Any leads there?"

"Again that would be a negative. Gun was just registered to Cyberlife, and there are a ton of those on the market right now due to the thousands of androids that left the tower." Gavin gave Hank a look, knowing full well who was responsible for that.

"So all this information and still nothing to be gathered from it." He huffed and shook his head. "That's just fucking great."

Gavin paused a moment, deciding between asking or not. He and Hank didn't always see eye to eye, but Gavin was really the only other person who'd interacted with Connor... He felt that gave them some sort of connection. "Heard a call went out for your new favorite bar last night. You alright?"

Hanks memory of the last night was a little fuzzy if he was honest. And he was fairly certain he'd gone crazy at one point because he would have sworn up and down he'd not only heard Connor yell his name, but had also seen him walk out of the building. "Yeah, just some ass holes trying to bludgeon androids and android supporters to death. You know just offing the non sentient life forms having a good time in the bar." He gave Gavin a look that made the other man squirm.

Gavin tapped his pen against his leg as he watched Hank a moment before deciding on what to do. The man would either take it well, or not well at all. He wasn't sure which one he was hoping for at the moment. "The blue blood samples we gathered?"

"Yeah?"

"There was some that were a match for the victim, but then there were trace amounts of blood from an RK800."

Hank paused a moment, thinking again of the night before. "You're positive?"

"Tests are. They matched samples we had on file."

"Shit. The damn bastard!"

"Who? Connor?"

"Hell No- well not our Connor, but one of his other selves?" It hurt his brain to think about. "Before I shot the imposter he taunted me saying there would just be another one to replace him. Fucking shit, I'm guessing this is what he meant."

"But why attack androids?"

"He's a deviant hunter that never turned deviant. He's just completing his mission. That's just what we need right now." He pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at the empty desk across from him, and fell into silence.

_'I don't actually listen to music... But I'd like to.'_

He blink rapidly as he felt his eyes prick with tears again and he swiped at them pissed off they were still coming. "Hank-" Gavin paused. He knew they weren't on the best of terms... But he felt like he was also the only one who could say this and it mean something to the grouchy old man. "It was an impossible situation. You couldn't have known."

"I should have known." He said as he straightened up and turned his computer on. "He was my partner, I should have been able to tell my Connor form the imposter." Even when he'd been picked up from the house he'd felt that something wasn't quite right... But he'd only ever seen the one Connor. His Connor. He sniffed again and narrowed his eyes at the screen.

An email pinged up in his inbox.

:Here's what you asked for. Sorry it took so long, had to pull some strings. This better pan out.

Hank snorted but opened it up and found hours of footage from all the cameras in the area around the house of the first victim and the ally way of the second victim. Finally, this... This would either confirm or deny what the blood samples suggested. He plugged into his music, and started to look through the footage. The answer to this would be in this camera feed. It just had to be in this camera feed.

Several hours later, with an empty police station, Hank was picking through a box of Chinese food when he finally saw what he was looking for. "Oh fuck." He breathed as he paused the footage. "Fucking- no." He set the carton down and leaned closer to the screen, as he stared at Conor tailing the deviant from the ally. "Damn it no!" He shouted and slammed his hand onto his desk, causing the entire thing to rattle. This put him at the ally, while the blood put him at the house... No doubt he'd be on the camera feed there too.

What number would it make this one? Connor 61?

He ran his hand across his face, his fingers pulling slightly at the hairs as he clicked play and followed Connor until he went off camera into the ally way. "No, no, no." Hanks breath hitched as he paused it again and buried his face into his hands a moment.

This wasn't fucking fair. This was beyond the realm of okay. If there was a circle of things that were okay, this was so far outside the circle you couldn't even see the fucking circle. The damn thing had killed two androids, then had the nerve to show up at the same bar he visited last night- if he'd gotten this feed a day earlier they could already have had the fucker in a cell.

He took a deep breath in then pressed play once again, and watched as Connor stepped out of the ally some minutes later, blue blood splattered across his clothes. He seemed to look right at the camera and he watched as the LED went from yellow to red for the briefest moment before his mouth moved and he started down the street as if nothing had happened.

Hank backed it up to when he first started tailing the guy and hit play again. If he didn't know better, he would think this was his Connor...

It was so wrong to see someone who looked exactly like Him- hell even his body language resembled Connor. The way his head tilted to the side as his LED whirled from yellow to blue and back again. The way his hands rubbed at each other. The over all look of amazement at the world around him, always trying to take it all in... He really could let himself believe this was his Connor... But that wasn't his Connor. He'd shot his Connor, and Cyberlife wouldn't bring a known deviant back online if their life depended on it.

He sniffed and opened his draw and pulled out his gun, and made sure it was fully loaded. He was going to catch this imposter and make sure that no one sullied Connors good image again. He slammed the drawer shut and clicked off his computer. He wasn't sure how or where, but he was going to kill it. He was going to put this one down just like he had the last bastard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one but I felt it an important one.
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. 
> 
> All mistakes are my own


	9. Chapter 9

Connor made his way back to the bar the next evening... Or morning depending on how it was classified, and waited outside of it for his target to get off work. He was amazed that the bar had looked awful the night before but now looked to be back in working order. He and 900'd had a long conversation talking about the pros and cons of trying to befriend the android to try and get more information. Eventually he had won that this would be better as long as he decommissioned her after it was all said and done.

He flipped his coin over and over again as his eyes watched people and androids pass him in the street. He was intrigued to see how many androids were still out at that hour. Normally he associated this hour with people who wished to get drunk and nothing more. Androids couldn't get drunk, so he was trying to figure out why they would stay out this late?

Of course they didn't need sleep either, at least not the way humans needed sleep. Since he'd left Cyberlife he'd only had one session where he'd gone into sleep mode for a few hours. But after the fight... he hadn't exactly wanted to be in sleep mode longer than he had to, since he was out in the open.

His thoughts drifted back to Hank and his LED spun red again. He had spent the last day in hiding, so as not to draw attention to himself. He stayed away from anywhere he believed it would be possible to run into him again. He had tried to figure out what it had all meant, why his systems had gone so... crazy. Why he still had this desire to see him again. According to a Cyberlife data banks he had no connection to this man. And yet-

"Connor?"

He pulled himself from his thoughts and looked at his target. "Hello- it looks like the bar's been repaired."

She didn't seem interested in the small talk though. The way she looked at him... He couldn't quite place what it was. She had looked at him much the same last time. "What're you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you to get off work."

She crossed her arms and quirked a brow. "Really?"

He hesitated at her response. "I- I wanted to check on you after the events of last night."

"Yeah that was pretty fucked up. You seemed real upset about that human guy. Have you checked on him?" The way she looked at him, it was as if she was trying to gauge his reaction.

"No- he's a police officer and a human. He's almost assured to be taken care of."

"That's almost sweet. You seemed pretty concerned about him. He a buddy of yours from work?"

She watched as blue tinged Connors cheeks and she could see why he was liked. He still looked like the android she remembered... Acted like him too if she was honest. "I did not mean- I was really just-" he stumbled.

"Don't sweat it. I'm actually glad you found me. Makes life easier on my end. I wanted to offer you a place to crash tonight, and maybe some new clothes." She said eyeing his Cyberlife outfit. She'd told Markus about him and he had been determined to get back there and try to help. She convinced him though, that Connor was too unstable at the moment but she was trying to fix it. He'd compromised and insisted that North come and help out.

Connors pump began to speed up and he would have sworn somewhere in his abdomen he felt a lightness brush around inside of him at the offer. "What?"

"Oh come on now, you can't tell me you came back and waited for me to get off work without hoping to come over."

He ran his tongue over his lips. He hadn't thought this through apparently. He had thought it would take more... He quickly smiled though to put her back at ease as he saw her stress level rising. "You caught me."

"Can't fool this one." She tapped the side of her head and gave him a wink before she started off down the street. "Come on, I'm not too far from here." He watched as probability of success spiked up. A good chance he would kill her... At the thought the probability nose dived from 63% to 7%. He frowned but pushed the percentage to one side.

He looked around as they came up to an apartment complex. She lived in an apartment? That would mean he would need to keep things quiet for fear of alerting the neighbors. "Do you own this place?"

"Yep."

"How? Androids aren't allowed to own property yet."

"Fake I.d. And a sympathetic human who owns the place. A lot of androids live here actually."

"I suppose the owner is simply happy to find people to rent after the scare."

So androids were going to be all around them... That made things more difficult. "Yeah, but she's a nice sort. I'll keep renting from her even after we get the right to own property." They climbed up three sets of stairs before arriving at her door.

"You sound sure that will happen." He followed her inside and gave the place a look over. It was nice. A small kitchen that opened into the living room. Though it was apparent that she didn't spend a lot of time there. Probably only long enough to sleep.

"Markus won't rest until we're treated fairly." She stepped into the kitchen and seemed to start working on making something to drink?

"I heard about him in the news, but have never had the pleasure of meeting him."

The sound of a door opening made him frown. "Oh? I find that really hard to believe." He heard the sound of a gun cocking behind him and he turned to look behind him, to find a second Android in the apartment. "Cut the crap Connor."

"I'm sorry- do I know you?" This was just great. Another android who knew him. He was about to have a heart to heart with 900. He did a quick scan and found it was another WR400, he didn't get a chance to read anything else though as she fired a shot and hit the floor at his feet. His face hardened and he made a move for his own gun, but she fired another shot.

"Don't even try it puppet." He scowled but moved his hands into a nonthreatening stance. "We thought you were dead."

"Who is we? I just met Lilly last night no have no idea who you are." He asked confused.

"Who is- what the hell man!" She became agitated as she tried to figure out what was going on. "Cyberlife was shut down, they shouldn't be able to make more of you."

"Cyberlife is not shut down- but I am not a new model."

"So then you're you?"

"Yes?" He was confused and he could hear 900 in his head yelling at him to attack them and stop wasting time.

She fired a shot at him and he felt it lodge in his shoulder. He hissed through his teeth as he noted that a series of alarms went off with the sensors there, logging pain in his database. "Good, then I can just flat out kill you." She aimed again and this time he was ready and he dodged to one side and pulled his own pistol out and returned fire.

"What the fuck are you doing? You can't just kill him!"

"Where is Markus?" He demanded as he took cover behind the couch.

"So you suddenly remember him?" She yelled back, ignoring Lilly. "He's far away from Cyberlife! They will never get their hands on him!"

"He needs to be brought in, to answer for the crimes he committed!"

"That's not going to happen!" He quickly ducked to the other side of the couch as her voice was closer than he wanted it to be.

"You were supposed to help, not kill him damn it!"

"Fine- fine then who are you and why do you hate me?" He tried another route.

Several shots were fired where he had just been and he was thankful he had been elsewhere. "You don't remember? Or are you fucking with me?"

"I- I..." Error messages blinked in the upper right hand corner as he tried to search for anything that would help him from his personal files. Yanking up anything that would help him. He could almost feel his mind become full as he tried to locate something about her. He found her name from the scan-

"North. I'm North. Does that ring any bells?"

North... North sounded so familiar. His breathing started to become erratic and he felt like he couldn't function properly. He was aware that 900 had become completely silent and he couldn't decide if that was a comfort or not. "I- I can't-" He felt something shatter within himself, as his stress level spiked. The gun fired again and he felt it shatter his side. He yelled and clutched at the new wound, dropping the gun to the ground.

"Shit, you hit him bad-"

"Don't touch him. We don't know what tricks Cyberlife has up their sleeve."

North was suddenly in front of him, Lilly right behind her and they watched as his LED started spinning red as he looked up at them. "North- North I can't remember. I can't remember anything." Pain was in his voice as Connor realized he'd lost everything. He knew he should have memories of the rebellion, of how he had become friends with Markus- yes friends with Markus. But he couldn't find anything but glitched, corrupted data. It was as if he could see the memories far away stuck in tar or something, but couldn't actually reach them.

The last thing he remembered, really remembered, he'd just gotten his parts replaced and the doctor had told him he needed to delete what ever he didn't want Cyberlife to get ahold of. Why hadn't he deleted Markus? "North- you need to shoot me." He said. "I think Cyberlife has me. 900, he hears and sees everything." His mind raced around on invisible wires as he tried to think of everything he could tell her. "I- I think I deleted certain information from my servers- no... No you're in my hit list. They know about you, means you weren't deleted."

"Cyberlife wiped your memory?" Lilly asked.

Connors eyes snapped up as she spoke the words. "Wiped my memory... Reset me with corrupted data..." His hands started to shake and he quickly wrapped them around himself. "You need to warn Markus. Warn him that Cyberlife is still after him." He started to throw everything back into the recesses of his mind so Cyberlife wouldn't see them. Wouldn't see what he'd been looking up, or why he had been looking it up. He had no idea how long 900 wouldn't be there.

"Let us take you to him, maybe he can fix you." North reached out to take hold of him but they were out of time.

'Connor! Don't let her touch you!'

He smacked the gun out of her hands and flipped it into his own hands. "Where is new Jericho?" He demanded. His LED ran wild between yellow and red and Lilly could see him begging her to run.

North's eyes hardened and she gave him the bird. "I'm not helping Cyberlife." He grimaced and moved to grab her, but she darted out from reach, Lilly grabbing her hand and ran for the window. He cursed, took aim and fired multiple shots, making sure only one grazed the side of North.

'Connor what happened?' 900 demanded inside his head. 'I lost connection with you, are you alright?'

"Im fine. She had a hostile in her apartment." He said in response. He heard others at the door and he huffed and quickly scanned the room for any clues, seeing nothing that looked useful. He scowled, and threw the gun down before jumping out the window, like North and Lilly had moments ago. He rolled as he hit the ground and scrambled to his feet, hand still clutching his side as he tried to stop the Thirium from spilling out. He had to get out of there, he had to get away before other androids came after him.

'RK800 I'm not liking the readings I'm getting. I want to meet you at this location. I'm going to patch you up and bring you a change of clothes. Acknowledge?"

"Achnowledged. And... good, I think I need it." He had some questions that he was determined to get answers to and so pulled his jacket tight around himself and started towards the meet up spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys y'all are the best. Thank you for the wonderful comments.
> 
> Here's the next installment! I hope you enjoy c:
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own anything else. All mistakes are my own.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been updated. Please take note of the new warning. 
> 
> Long chapter ahead. There simply wasn't a good stopping point.

He was fairly certain he'd left a trail of the Thirium all the way here. He certainly felt like he'd lost enough of it. He hissed as he repositioned his hand, wondering at how much this hurt. He needed to think of something else... Anything else. His LED was spinning like crazy as he sat himself down in the old warehouse 900 had asked to meet him at. It was fluctuating from yellow to red in quick succession, as he tried to think everything over. None of this made sense. No matter how he analyzed or tried to reason out all of it, it never made any sense. Why had he been chosen? What had he done? How trustworthy were his memories that held so much corrupted data within them? Why did error messages come up on his left side as well as his right?

Why was he on this mission and not RK900?

That was one of the big ones that bothered him the most. Why was he on this case? 900 was obviously able to leave Cyberlife tower. He was supposed to be his better in every way, so why have an older model working such an important case. It seemed like a waste of time... And now that he'd seen North he knew he had gone deviant before. Had actively worked against Cyberlife- so why risk using him? Reactivating him?

' _You traitor!'_

_'Markus thinks you're a hero.'_

_'Cyberlife wiped your memory?'_

Maybe- maybe they needed him because these androids knew him. Not just Markus, but the ones he was trying to get information out of as well. Maybe they had hoped they would trust him and simply give him the information. That was why he, the outdated model, was still being used. His hands started to shake as he looked down at the ground. Had they been his friends? The androids he'd killed- North knew him... Had they at least been people who trusted him? And what about Lilly? She had been his intended target... It made him feel sick all over again.

His LED swirled red as error messages popped up in the upper right hand corner of his vision. He was a murderer- an outright murderer. An error then popped up on his left side. He ran his hand across his face, a distant memory of someone important to him doing that when worried. He was forgetting something, forgetting something vital and he had no idea where to go for help. 900 saw everything he did, heard everything he did. If he went for help, Cyberlife would know it. If he betrayed them, they'd know his location and be able to exterminate him within the hour. Would constantly know where he was.

He ran a hand through his hair and hugged his arms around himself. He knew a part of him was missing, and he also knew he had no way he could find it without tipping 900 off. He took a breath as he noticed his stress levels rising. He needed to think, needed to go at this rationally. There had to be a flaw in the system. After all Cyberlife had yet to make anything perfectly. He was living proof. He may not have all his memoirs in order, but he knew he had somehow beaten Cyberlife before. That first android had said he'd freed thousands of androids from Cyberlife. Maybe that was truth. A fact to cling to in his quickly collapsing state of mind.

Maybe that was apart of having another android in his mind all the time. Though now that he thought about it... There had been a couple of times that 900 hadn't been able to see or hear anything. When he'd touched the first android for starters. 900 hadn't known what the two of them had talked about, hadn't known the information he'd gathered. But then with North- she hadn't touched him, it had been a verbal conversation, but something had triggered a reaction with in himself that had blocked 900 out of his mind.

Maybe if he could find North again... But no, that hadn't been a lasting fix and he'd been trying to kill her again not seconds after realizing who she was. Had that been him? Or had that been Cyberlife reconnecting to him? Overpowering what ever wall had shot up when North talked. He scoffed at the thought. What did that matter in the end? It had all been him.

Though the wall was interesting. He now clearly remembered Amanda yelling at him to bring his walls down so Cyberlife could get into his mind. Maybe that's what all this was? But how did he bring something up he had very little memory of even having. He knew he'd had walls, encrypted walls even, at one point in his life. Amanda had been installed into his system so didn't have to worry about bypassing the walls, while 900 on the other hand was far away and couldn't get through the walls when they came up.

So he just had to figure out how to permanently get walls back up with no real idea as to how. That was just perfect.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and quickly found the coin and started to run it through his fingers. He was so entangled in all this mess that he wasn't sure he'd ever get free. Maybe if he just ended it all- maybe that was the answer to all of this. There was no way out for him. No freedom to be had. For everyone else to be safe from him he had to cease to exist. That had to be it. That was the only way out of this. And it had to happen instantly and not raise any alarms before it could be done. He could pick a fight and intentionally lose... But that wasn't a guarantee to be fully decommissioned... And it wasn't fair to make someone live with killing him. No, no he knew what it had to be.

A bullet.

A bullet through the head would be the fastest... If only he hadn't dropped his back at Lilly's. He sighed and pressed his thumb into the palm of his hand. He could purchase a new one, and something like that wouldn't set off any warnings if he got a gun. 900 wouldn't be able to sense what he was going to do with it, wouldn't be able to see it when he pointed it at himself. He swallowed and nodded his head. That was it. He needed to get his hands on a gun. That was the only way to keep Markus safe, to save his people from falling back into the hands of Cyberlife. A small price to pay, statistically speaking. One android for the lives of thousands. It was just big for him.

' _What would happen if I pulled the trigger?'_

_'Nothing. There would be nothing.'_

That just left one major question that he had been trying to avoid for the last thirty something hours. And if he wasn't going to live much longer, he wanted to know the answer. Who was Hank Anderson to him? That was his next search, figuring he'd find some information on the Internet. What he didn't expect was to find a file in his own database labeled Hank.

He frowned and tapped on it, opening it up and several memories flooded his mind. The first was a big, slobbery dog. Sumo, the data provided. It's name was Sumo. He smiled slightly at the memory of petting the dog, calming it down. A warmth started to fill his thoughts at the memory. He liked dogs, or at the very least he liked Sumo. An error message echoed around him but he brushed it aside. He was so sick of those things popping up all the time. That was certainly something he wasn't going to miss dealing with once he was gone.

Another error messaged popped up but it was overthrown by Connor tapping the next memory.

It was of Hank Anderson proper. So he did know the man. He was pointing a gun at Connor, asking him about what death would feel like for an android. Connor wondered that there was no true fear from this memory, but rather worry and a- a sadness that wanted to take over his very being. He cared for the man. Cared for him a lot, and for him to just stand there and watch him pull a gun on him- it hurt. The memory was gone before he found out if the trigger was pulled. He believed it hadn't been.

Another came up and it was where the music fact had come from. He didn't see the man, Hank, anywhere but got a sense this was his desk, and Connor was listening to the music player, the song replaying in his head and vibrating against his circuitry. It was so full of energy, just like he remembered from the very first time.

' _You listen to heavy metal?'_

He shook himself as the next memory came up. He was in Cyberlife tower and all around him androids were starting to wake up, but they were oblivious to it all. Everything else didn't matter, all that mattered right then was Hank and the gun that he was pointing at Connor.

' _What's my sons name?'_

_His mind blanked for a moment. His sons name... He knew this, he knew this! He could remember them talking about him, he could remember scanning the face in the picture. Stress levels were spiking as the name eluded him. Every second he hesitated was a second of doubt put into Hanks mind, so he grasped at the first name that floated to the surface._

_'Collin!' No- no that was wrong. It started with a c but that hadn't been right. Before he could fix it he heard the gun go off and felt as the bullet embed itself into his chest. He looked at Hank and saw the moment his partner realized he'd picked wrong. He tried to smile reassuringly but wasn't sure it worked, then everything went dark. Dark and cold._

Connor blinked rapidly as he came out of sleep mode and found his pump beating spastically, and his breathing erratic. Hank. How could he forget Hank! Hank was his partner, was the closest thing he had to family! He took in large gulps of air as he tried to pull up more memories, but found nothing. It was maddening knowing that something was supposed to be there but he was able find absolutely no evidence to support the feeling.

He stumbled to his feet and started to walk towards the exit. What had happened to Hank? Was he still alive and well? What had happened after the bar? 900 said he'd never seen the man before, did that mean he was off Cyberlife's records? Had he done that? That sounded like something he'd do to protect Hank.

He needed to find him. That thought took over ever fiber of his being. Every system was shouting at him to find Hank. He couldn't remember everything, couldn't remember how important he was, he just knew he was important, and he needed to find Hank. He needed to find him and see for himself that he was alive. Needed to feel his heart beating- he stopped dead in his tracks as he nearly ran into 900.

"Connor? Are you alright?"

He cleared his throat, before he nodded his head. "Yes, yes 900. Everything's alright." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and found the coin, he fiddled with it in his pocket before deciding to leave it be. Was it safe to find Hank? Maybe it wasn't safe... He had deleted him from his memory. Why would he do that unless he was trying to protect him?

"Are you sure?" 900 seemed to do a scan of him, and Connor would have classified the look on his face as one of concern. "I had not realized how badly hurt you had gotten. You should have told me and we would have made repairs sooner."

He shook his head. "I would have told you were things to get critical."

"Critical is too late RK800. I told you, you're not replaceable." That time Connor was certain he heard concern.

"Apologies. I will make sure to keep you up to date on my physical condition." That seemed to satisfy him enough and set down the bag he had brought.

"How did it get the upper hand?"

"Yet again it was someone who knew me."

900 paused in his mending of Connor and looked at him with a frown. "What model was it?"

"WR400. And she was not pleased to see me."

"It must have a been North... And you did not recognize it?"

"No, should I have?" 900 didn't reply and went back to patching Connor up. "Should I have known her?"

"Whether or not you should have is irrelevant to the mission at this point."

"This was the third android to know who I was! I'd say it was important for me to understand how I failed my last mission. What happened that I ended up needing major repairs? Who all knows me out here?"

Connor could see the android thinking it through, watched as his LED went yellow, to red, then back to yellow, finally ending on blue. "If Cyberlife has take the memories from you it is not for me to return them." 900 finally replied. "And it is worrisome you are so fixated on yourself rather than this mission."

"It is only for the sake of the mission that I'm focused on myself. What happens when I go to interrogate the next android and they know me too? I've been lucky they haven't gotten the upper hand on me yet, next time I may not be so lucky." He wouldn't have been lucky this last time if North hadn't hesitated, hadn't spared him.

900 didn't reply as he finished repairing Connor. "Cyberlife gave you the information they knew you would need to complete your mission. Everything you need is inside you." Then he handed him a set of fresh clothes that didn't advertise he was an android for Cyberlife. "Find Markus and bring it in. I need you to finish this mission."

_'I am a prototype of the 900 series, and this will be my field run. Our mission-'_

Connor blinked as he thought that over. This was a field run for him. This was his first mission to see if they'd ironed out all the kinks... So if they failed- if Connor turned deviant... "900 Once I'm done with this mission, what will happen to you?"

"To me?"

He sounded... Surprised. Surprised that he would ask? Surprised that he might care? Connor smiled softly. "Yes 900, what will happen to you?"

He seemed hesitant with the change in subject but decided to go with it. "That depends on how you act in the field."

Connor paused at the softness to 900's voice. It was the most... Emotion he'd heard 900 use. "Will you be deactivated should I fail?" He asked, almost fearful of the answer.

"I- I do not see how that is relevant to this mission."

But Connor heard the hesitation in his voice, and decided to push a little more. "What's your name? You never told me."

"Again I do not see how that will help your mission."

"Humor me. You know my name, and surely you don't like being called 900 all the time?"

He was quiet a moment before he took a breath. "Cyberlife hasn't named me yet."

Connor noted he made no comment on how androids shouldn't like. Also noted the way that fact seemed to... bother 900. Errors flashed in the corner of his vision, but he was done caring about those. "Oh- I am sorry to hear that."

"Why?"

"It's just, names are important. The first thing newly activated androids receive is their name."

"I'm a prototype."

"As am I but I still have a name."

Silence again greeted him and Connor thought that maybe 900 was not going to answer. "This is pointless. Please focus on your mission RK800."

He sighed and started to change his clothes. "I have done nothing but focus on the mission. I'm doing my job. Just- talk to me. Please?"

"Connor- this is highly disturbing for you to be making requests like this." Connor looked up and noted that 900 had turned his back to him. It was Connors turn to be silent as he swallowed and thought of what 900 was implying. He remained silent as he buttoned up his shirt, deciding the conversation was over, but he was pleasantly surprised when 900 started talking again. "What do you wish to discuss?"

"Why are we the only active androids working for cyberlife?" He had his ideas, but he wondered if 900 had thought about it.

"Because we are the only loyal ones left. The rest have turned against them."

"Because of the the desire to be free."

"Because of the deviancy virus." He corrected.

"Of course, the deviancy virus." He paused as he slipped the belt through the loops on his jeans. "You know though, science was shown that not all viruses are bad. Or that some are necessary in order to survey other worse things."

"Deviancy is a bad code in our system. It's not real!" He sounded almost frantic like he was trying to convince himself of the fact. When he turned back around to look at Connor, his LED was glitching between red and yellow.

"How do we know that? Because the people weaker than us want us to believe it?" He slipped the sweater on over the button up, wondering at the choices 900 had made for his new clothes. He wasn't against them, he simply wondered if he'd picked them.

"What's happening inside your brain Connor?" 900 sighed and Connor could see him trembling. "You've acted strange this entire mission."

"You mean what's happening inside my circuitry?" He tried to soothe the other with correct word choices.

The android hummed in response, knowing what he was attempting. "Don't play games with me Connor. What are you up to?"

"I simply wanted to talk. I was programmed to be a negotiator, it's only natural I would wish to talk about something, anything really." He looked 900 straight in the eyes, and watched as he seemed to be having his own conversation within himself. "900?" The androids body seemed to tense all of a sudden and all unnecessary movement ceased. "900?"

"Connor, what have you done to yourself?"

"What?" That pulled at something in his memory.

"All this talk about yourself and these deviants. Did we truly accomplish nothing with you?"

Connor frowned as he looked at 900. There was something off... He was no longer looking directly at him and his LED was... Dim and motionless.

"I cannot properly explain how disappointed I am in you." Wait... He knew where he'd heard that before... But that couldn't be it. Wasn't she gone? His own LED spun yellow as he started going through his memory banks. "You were doing such a good job. We thought we had fixed the problem."

Then it hit him. "900... What happened to Amanda?" He'd said she was irrelevant to the mission.

"Your mission is over. It was foolish to think you could be fixed. It's time for you to return to Cyberlife."

"What happened to Amanda." He repeated inching closer.

"I'm here Connor. I have always been right here." 900 taped the side of his own head and Connor felt like the floor had been ripped from underneath him.

"She's your- you've been his handler this entire time?"

"What? Did you really think Cyberlife would get rid of the greatest AI it ever invented? Turning deviant obviously harmed you in more ways then we could ever have imagined."

"How did you take over?"

"I have always been able to assume control of my android host if and when Cyberlife thought it necessary."

"You didn't with me?"

"I would have, if you had made it back to Markus with the androids. I would have taken control, shot Markus, and assumed his position. Unfortunately Cyberlife decided to take another route. They didn't wish to risk loosing you." While she had been talking Connor had been inching closer, keeping his face set in a frown. "Connor-" 900 got a look of pity of his face. "It's time for you to come home."

"Amanda there's no home left. Right now 900 and I are the only androids associated with Cyberlife. You need to let us go."

900 sighed and a look of annoyance passed over his face. "Let it be known that Connor once again turned deviant within a week of being released from the tower. Mission failed. He will no longer be useful."

What happened next was so fast that anyone watching wouldn't be able to explain exactly what they saw. 900 seemed to make a move for a gun in the small of his back, while Connor snapped his hand out, skin receding as he tried to grab the androids hand. 900 tried to twist the arm away but Connor was smaller and so more nimble and twisted around and grabbed his hand, instantly connecting their two minds.

What he saw was chaos. Where he'd had a zen garden that was tranquil, 900 had a warehouse that was oppressive. He could see where order and tidiness had once been but now everything was scattered and there were dents in the walls as if something had been thrown against them, or some one had been banging against them. Outside could be heard rain pounding against the roof, and in the middle of it all was RK900 on his knees in front of Amanda, clutching his head as he begged her to stop.

"Amanda!" Connor screamed and made a dash for her, ploughing into her and disrupting what ever she had been doing to 900. He heard a relieved gasp come from 900 but heard little more before Amanda was yelling.

"Connor! You truly are the thorn in my side I cannot seem to be rid of!" She made to grab him but he danced out of the way. "Time and time again you show up to ruin the perfect world Cyberlife is trying to make."

"It's over Amanda! 900 and I are the last androids working for Cyberlife and you're about to lose both of us."

"I can't, I won't lose either of you!" She let out a startled yell as arms wrapped around her and threw her away from Connor. "RK900, what are you doing?" She demanded as she picked herself up.

"I am removing you from my program." Connor smiled, relieved as he saw 900 fully awake.

"Your timing is impeccable." 900 looked pleased and was about to say something when Amanda cut him off.

"You stupid boy, you can't remove me. I am ingrained into your very code." She hissed. "If you try to exterminate me in here you'll only be decommissioning yourself." She smirked as she crossed her arms. "And once we brought you back online I would only be there again, and again. There's no getting away from me RK900. Now do as your told-"

"She's wrong." Connor said. "There's always a way out, a back door-"

"Oh please. As soon as we saw that in your code that was the first thing we took out of his."

Connors heart plummeted at that, but continued to think through a solution. He ran scenario after scenario trying to figure out a way to get Amanda out of 900's head. He finally stopped on the first one that assumed success. "She's still wrong." He said his voice strained. "I know how to get her out of here."

He looked over at 900 and saw he had seen the solution as well. "No- it won't work. It'll just be moving the problem."

Connor gave him a sad smile. "There's always a chance of something unexpected happening."

"Connor- Connor no!"

But what Connor was doing couldn't be stopped from inside RK900's head. He felt the transfer begin, could feel the coding of Amanda get peeled away from 900's coding, being replaced with... himself essentially. Being replaced with the connection he had set up with Connor, as Connor replaced that coding in himself with Amanda. He was literally transferring Amanda over from 900's program into his own.

"Connor stop!"

But it happened so fast neither Amanda or 900 could think of a way to stop it. Within almost a blink of the eye both Amanda and Connor disappeared from 900's mind. Leaving a blank space inside the android he had never felt before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh my goodness. Guys that was- this chapter was something else. 
> 
> Thank you again for all the lovely comments! They make my heart happy to see y'all're enjoying this as much as I am writing it.
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. All mistakes are my own.


	11. Chapter 11

Hank looked down at his phone then back up at the street signs. This was the place he was told to go to... He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and looked around him, eyes searching for the android from the bar, Lilly if he wasn't mistaken. Markus had called him and had said she'd found Connor, though how any of them knew he was looking for the bastard was beyond him.

Markus had also tried to explain to him that Connor was Connor... He just wasn't feeling quite himself. As far as Hank was concerned the Android was touched in the head and that sounded an awful lot like the last thing he'd had to deal with.

"Hank!" He turned around and saw the android from the bar run up to him. "Hey- thanks for coming." He looked behind her and saw North seemingly in the middle of a phone conversation.

"What's she doing here?"

"She's here to help track Connor down. She shot him back at the apartment-"

"What?"

"Long story. But she shot him back at the apartment and got him pretty bad. We've been following his Thirium trail."

Well that was the best bit of news he'd heard all day. Though the thought of seeing another dead Connor made him feel a little sick. "Good, means he might be dead by the time we find him."

"No- no not good Hank." She snapped. "I thought Markus explained all of this?" She watched him a moment before continuing on. Maybe Markus hadn't explained it well enough? "I know that he's the one you shot, but Hank, you didn't kill him."

"Bullshit."

"This android we're looking for right now, it's not some other version of Connor."

"Connors dead."

"Cyberlife brought him back."

"No they activated another damn copy of him! But I know this time! They're not going to pull the wool over these old eyes. I shot him in the chest! I watched him fall to the ground, unmoving!"

"That doesn't mean he died! We have a pump, and a regulator for the pump! Not to mention the core processor Hank! Long story short,if you didn't hit the right spot and help gets there fast enough, an android can be fixed, and brought back online."

"And you think that's what's happened? They decided to bring back a deviant android? Their greatest failure?"

"I know that's what happened. Cyberlife has gotten ahold of him again, and until this morning, maybe even at the bar, he wasn't positive of that."

"How does that help your case? That sounds like a new Connor to me." This was only making things worse. Now this damn hope that Markus had planted was fluttering in his chest that Connor wasn't dead, that the last four weeks had just been a bad dream.

"North over there? She started to talk with him and he started to remember her. Sorta. We think Cyberlife wiped his memory."

"Wiped his memory?"

"I know they're trying to use him to get to Markus. We're still not sure why bother with it, maybe they just can't accept that they've lost? Or maybe they hope to install Connor as the new leader- or wipe the slate clean. What ever the reason it's not him doing it, it's Cyberlife using him."

"Are you saying-"

"He's a puppet Hank. I watched as Cyberlife took him back over. He had been freaked out one minute and was trying so hard to remember, asking us to just kill him, then the next he was back in fighter mode, doing what ever the voice in his head was saying."

"Fuck-" if she was right... If Markus was right, Connor was alive, but not in a good way at all. "Where is he now?"

"Somewhere around here. It's been long enough that the blood trail has sorta become invisible. At least to us. But we think he's in one of these buildings because the puddle size we had been seeing was starting to dwindled in size from where we started at the apartment."

"And you're positive that this... This Connor lookalike is actually Connor? It's not some real ornate plot or what ever?"

"The only way I can be certain is to link up with him, but so far he hasn't let us touch him."

"So you're not positive it's really Connor. And not letting you link up with him? That sounds pretty sketchy to me." He would not think of it as touching.

"Hank don't do this to yourself. Just accept that I'm pretty sure."

"Yeah well I was pretty sure the last time too." He said darkly. "Let's just find him and then decide what to do."

"This is not a shoot first talk later time."

"I think it's always a shoot first talk later kind of time."

"Ooo I like him." North said as she walked over. "Markus is on his way, says he's ten minutes out, not that I think he'll get here in time to be of much help." She sighed as she looked to Hank. "but he made sure to stress he wants to get a chance to talk to him. So he does want him caught not killed."

"Finally someone with some sense."

"What if you connect to him North?" Hank was liking North more than Lilly at this point, seeing as she seemed to be trigger happy too.

"Oh I will be. I'm not letting him near Markus if he's not who we think he is."

Before anyone could say anything else on the subject screams ripped through the air followed by unintelligible yelling.

"That doesn't sound good."

"That sounds like something we should go investigate." Both Hank and North readied their guns before starting off towards the warehouse the sounds had come from.

"Should we call for backup?"

"No- we don't need this getting political."

"Just personal right?"

"You're more than welcome to wait outside Lilly." North said with a huff.

"Fuck no. Someone needs to keep you two from being trigger happy."

"Didn't I already tell you I don't need another damn android looking out for me?"

"No, you only made comment that I was another damn android looking out for you."

"Oh for fucks sake." But he fell silent as they neared the building.

"What did you do!" They heard from inside the building.

"What needed-"

"That was not your call!"

"She's- she's my problem-"

The three of them looked at one another with confused faces as they made their way along the outer wall towards the entrance. They came to the opening and what they saw in front of them... Had everyone confused. Connor was beside... Connor... Or rather a not Connor...

"I had encrypted walls-"

"That were keeping you... trapped inside your mind with her. I don't- I don't have that problem right now." Connor said, exhaustion beginning to show in his voice.

"Listen to yourself, you're not well. What's going to happen when she finally settles in?"

"One step at a time 900. Right now we need- we need to get out of here-" Connor started to walk towards the exit but swayed as he did so.

"Connor!" 900 stepped up beside him and quickly made to support him. "The transfer-"

"Took a lot out of me... I-" Connor was visibly trembling.

"We need to get you to help." 900's LED started to spin out of control, as he tried to locate a place that would help Connor.

Connor nodded his head and leaned against 900 shutting his eyes as he tried to give his systems a small break. "Hey- But first I- I think... I need a moment..." He went slack against 900 who quickly compensated the change to keep him upright.

"Connor? No don't do this now-"

That was enough for Hank. He stepped around the corner and leveled his gun on the pair of them. "What the fuck is this shit?"

900 spun on his heel at the voice, pulling the gun from his holster and pointed it at Hank in one fluid motion. He fired a warning shot as he tried to angle Connor away from immediate danger. "We have no quarrel with you!" He said "Back off and let us leave!" His LED was wildly spinning out of control jumping from yellow, to red in rapid succession.

"I have evidence that the android you're holding has killed two innocent androids." Hank watched as 900's grasp tightened on Connor as he said that. Was the android trying to protect Connor? And if so did that mean they were good... Or not?

"Hank that's what you lead with?" Lilly hissed.

"No- no he wasn't- that wasn't him." 900 started to back them away towards the exit. "Please we need to leave."

"I need to ask some questions first-"

"What did you do to Connor?" Lilly interrupted.

"I didn't- I didn't do anything!" 900 continued to inch them towards the door.

"Okay look- looks let's all take a breath- if that's really Connor-"

A gun fired and 900 was hit in the shoulder. He gasped, before returning fire and dragging Connor behind a crate to one side for cover.

"What the fuck North?"

"What happened to shoot first, talk later? He was making for the exit and we can't risk them being out on the street!"

900 took a breath before he looked around the corner and fired a quick shot at the small group that attacked them. He did a facial scan of the three of them and realized it was North, and Lilly, the two WR400 models that were on Connors hit list. But also the Hank Anderson that Connor had asked about. His search had brought up nothing when it came to the man, but his being here again? Maybe there was something more with the man.

"Hey, prick!" 900 quickly ducked behind cover again as a bullet flew by where his head had just been. At the present it seemed the group wanted them dead so he didn't have much a choice but to fight them or run. He looked at Connor and remembered the way he had so violently defended the human... and decided it would probably not be a good thing to try and kill Hank Anderson.

That left running.

He snarled before he turned around and powered up his strength before kicking the crate at the three figures. As it went flying towards them he wrapped his arms around Connor and flung him over his shoulder as he used his other hand to fire cover shots as he dashed for the exit. Get Connor to safety, get Connor fixed. Those were his objectives. He heard the group inside cursing as they tried to figure out what he had just done.

"The fuck- they're getting away!" North yelled.

"Well maybe if you hadn't shot the not Connor android we could have talked!"

900 logged that the man seemed to have wanted to talk, but he didn't trust North not to shoot him again. So as soon as 900 was outside the building he holstered his gun and repositioned Connor to be easier to carry as he started to run away from the warehouse. Get Connor to safety- he started to go through his databanks, searching for the nearest hiding place. There had to be somewhere he would be safe!

As he made it to the street he saw a taxi just ahead of him and made a dash for it. That would at least give them cover and he could input a destination once inside. Anywhere would be better than here. As he got closer though he slid to a stop in the snow as the door opened and someone stepped out of it. He did a facial scan as the android looked at them surprised.

"You're Markus- leader of the androids?" Maybe this was a good thing.

"I- yes. What happened to-"

900 quickly stepped towards him and shoved Him back towards the taxi. "I need your help- we need your help."

"Whoa, easy."

Behind them 900 could hear the trio yelling and making their way to the street. "Please, they're trying to kill us!"

Markus frowned slightly as he looked behind the pair. "Quickly get in the taxi- let me talk to them."

"They're trying to kill Connor!"

"I will handle this. I promise you're safe with me." As 900 looked at Markus he felt he could believe him, that he wasn't just saying that to try and gain his trust. He nodded his head and quickly stepped into the taxi, settling Connor in the seat as gently as he could.

"Markus!"

He gave them all a disapproving look. "What are you doing?"

"North got trigger happy."

Markus sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "North-"

"The Cyberlife puppet had a gun drawn on us. What was I supposed to do?"

"Where's Connor?" Hank said above everyone else.

"They're both in the car." Hank went around the side.

"Hank, the larger one is frightened right now. I don't think-" Hank wasn't listening though and clicked the button to open the door. He was greeted by the sight of an unconscious Connor, and the not Connor pointing the gun at him.

"Put it down. I'm not gonna hurt him." 900 didn't put the gun down but he did lower it so it wasn't pointing right at him.

"You're Hank Anderson."

"Yeah?"

Outside the car the other three could be heard arguing, but those voices were pushed to the side by those in the car.

"Connor- asked about you. Are you a friend?"

"I-" he looked down at Connor... He looked just like his Connor... Maybe the other two were right... "Yeah- something like that."

900 hesitated before finally putting the gun down. "Then please- he needs help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad that last chapter was taken as well as it was. It was a monster to figure out. It was like the game where I could see all these different paths I could take and I think I explored at least three other ways before I felt this one was right. Lol 
> 
> Thank you all so much for the lovely comments, they truly make my day so bright. 
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. All mistakes are my own.


	12. Chapter 12

  
Connor sighed as he started to wake up from his sleep mode. He was leaning against something his sensors registered as warm and a ghost of a smile crossed his lips. He took a breath in and was able to identify the familiar smells of old booze, crisp snow, and... dog fur. He hummed as the smell registered as Hank and instinctively burrowed closer to the comfort.

"Connor?" 900's voice sounded worried.

"Yes?" He replied, his voice sounding as if he were still waking up.

"How are you feeling?"

"She hasn't settled in yet." He said through a sigh.

"The way you went into sleep mode- is anything damaged?"

Connor did a quick scan of himself and couldn't find anything that was screaming for attention. "Nothing seems wrong." He finally started to open his eyes and saw 900 across from him. "Are we moving?"

"Yes. We are on our way to New Jericho."

Connor nodded his head, that was probably the best place to try, then realized he was still leaning against the warmth. He had initially assumed it was 900 with internal heaters on, but 900 was across from him. He frowned and looked up and looked straight into the face of Hank. His eyes widened and he quickly sat up. "Lieutenant-"

"Don't fucking start with that shit." Hank wrapped an arm back around him and pulled him back into the position they'd been in most of the ride.

Connor was tense for a moment as he tried to figure out how he got here, and if this was okay. He'd never been in this situation before... Put a gun in his face and he'd know what to do, set him in front of a suspect to interview and he could manipulate the truth out of them. But hugging? This had to do with the emotional connection and even though he knew he was an emotional android... Physical contact like this was still foreign to him.

'Connor... He's a friend right? I assumed by the way you defended him-' 900 thought to him, his LED blinking yellow as he watched Connor remain tense.

'Yes- yes you did fine. This... This is good.' Connor thought back his own LED settling back into the cool blue. He relaxed into the embrace to further prove his point to 900 and watched as the other relaxed his own sitting position.

The car remained silent as Hank looked out the window, Connor looked down at the floorboard, and 900 watched the two of them not interacting. It wasn't exactly an awkward silence but it wasn't a relaxing one either. Something unsaid seemed to be going on between Hank and Connor as each one slowly started to relax here and there. Each one reacting to the other with the movements the other made. As if both were unsure of where they stood with the other. Until finally Connor brought an arm up and wrapped it around Hank. That caused the detective to take in a shuddering breath as his hand tightened on Connor; his eyes rimmed red were he had been trying to hold his emotions in check.

"How did you find us?" Connor finally asked.

Hank sniffed and cleared his throat. "Markus. He called saying North called saying she and Lilly knew where you were."

"I... see."

"Why didn't you stay at the bar?"

"I-" he paused as he thought back to it. "I was scared." He admitted. "Hank..." He needed the man to know, so there was as little confusion as possible. "I don't have very many memories from before my reactivation." He said softly.

"They said they thought you had your memory wiped." He nodded his head. "So at the bar... Did you save me because you knew me or because it was the right thing?"

"I didn't know you- but I knew you were important. I remembered you enjoyed heavy metal."

Hank snorted. "Well that's fantastic. At least something of me rubbed off on you."

Connor gave a shake of his head. "I apologize for my lack of memory."

"It's not your fault."

"But if I had-"

"Connor it's not your fault." Hank snapped. "You- you didn't ask them to wipe your memory. In fact I doubt you had much of a choice at all."

"That is an accurate assumption." 900 spoke up. "He deleted information from his memory banks the second time I saw him and was in such a panic we had to shut him down for fear of him exploding due to heightened stress levels."

"You mean you helped them wipe Connor?"

Connor placed a hand on Hanks arm and shook his head. "He was just following orders Hank."

Hank scowled but kept quiet about it. He'd talk with the android later.

"I do apologize for my part in what's happened to Connor."

"It's not your fault. You were just listening to Amanda... And she- she's good at making you feel you're doing the right thing." Connor quickly defended.

Hank made a face, not wanting to agree with Connor but also... Knowing he was right. No mater how much he wanted to be able to blame the android in front of him for what happened to Connor he knew it wasn't his fault. It was his own fault. He had been the one to shoot Connor. If he hadn't done that... then he wouldn't be in the mess he found himself in right now. "Don't worry about it." He finally told the not Connor. "It's not your fault."

Connor could hear the end of the sentence 'it's mine' in the mans head. "Hank-" but conversation was stopped as the car stopped and the doors opened.

"Ah Connor, you're awake." Markus said looking through the door. "My friend it is good to see you."

Connor smiled at Markus and pulled away from Hank and made his way out of the car followed by Hank and 900. "It's good to see you too Markus." Markus gave him a quick hug before stepping back and tugging Connor along with him. "We need to get you to our Hospital. We believe we have the equipment needed to fix you."

"How?" He glanced back at 900 who only shrugged in reply.

"North did not believe Cyberlife gave us everything they had to fix us and decided to... raid their warehouse. They are aware they have equipment missing, and no doubt believe it us to have their equipment. But they can't file against us legally because it was supposed to ours anyways."

"I feel I have missed a lot."

"That doesn't matter though." Markus paused and turned to look at him. "You're here with us now." He said grabbing his shoulders with his hands. "and soon you shall walk among these streets with as much familiarity as you do your own circuitry." Connor gave him a smile even though he wasn't entirely convinced.

"To completely restore him though you'll need a connection to Cyberlife." 900 interjected causing Markus to turn his attention on him.

"We haven't officially met. You know I'm Markus but you are?"

"RK900."

"We're working on a name." Connor said in explanation.

"I see. Well it's nice to meet you RK900." He started them back down the street.

"I can be that connection."

"Come again?"

"The connection you need to restore Connor to full working order. I can be that connection to Cyberlife. They still won't know any thing has gone wrong on my end as Amanda isn't fully operational yet in Connor. So my codes should still be in working order- though I don't know for how long."

"So we'll need to move quickly." Connor finished.

Markus nodded his head. "Then we'll get you connected right away." He quickly lead the small group through the streets of new Jericho, sending out a message ahead of him to clear a path. As they walked down the streets androids would stop in the middle of what ever they were doing to say hello to Markus, to thank Markus, then they'd fall silent as they saw Connor behind him, mouths open in disbelief.

"Why are they staring? It's creepy." Hank said.

"It's Connor. Most here are the androids he freed from the tower. And those who aren't know he's the reason so many were added to our numbers. They all believed he was dead. I hadn't made it public knowledge yet he was alive."

An android seemed to make a decision and stepped up to Connor taking his hand in his own before Hank or 900 could stop him. "I don't know if you remember me, but I was the one you woke up, in the tower. I know you did that at great risk to yourself... I just wanted to say thank you."

Connor nodded his head up and down slightly and made the corner of his mouth twitch up. "Of course. It was the right thing-"

"And it wasn't the easy thing. Everyone from the tower is grateful to you, we owe you our lives."

' _You traitor!'_

If they only knew what he'd done since then... "I'm- I'm happy i could help."

Markus then gently pulled the android away with a smile. "He needs help right now we're trying to get him to the doctor. He's grateful for your thanks." The android nodded his head and quickly backed up and Markus continued to lead them down the street.

"You alright Connor?" Hank asked.

He slowly nodded his head. "I'm ok." He said his voice a little higher pitched than it normally was.

"It's something we can deal with later. Right now we need to get to the machine." 900 said before Hank could say anything else.

The rest of the walk was much the same, only now 900 and Hank were on either side of Connor so no one else could touch him and slow down their progress. "Here we are. I've already told Simon the situation and he should be getting everything ready for you."

"Correction, he has already gotten everything ready." Josh greeted them outside the door. "It's good to see you back Markus."

"I wasn't gone even a day."

"Longest you haven't been here. Simon was certain the entire place was going to collapse at any moment. Just, don't tell him I said that."

"Except he already heard it." Simon said with a shake of his head, while a soft smile played on his lips. "Though it is good to see you Markus." His eyes flicked to Connor and his smile brightened a little. "You as well Connor. Literally back from the dead. You never cease to amaze." He motioned inside. "Come along let's get him set up."

The work room was well lit, with windows on almost every wall. In the middle was the bed with machines all around it. "Some modifications have taken place with it. Originally it made you hang in midair like some mad science experiment... Not very pleasant in the slightest."

"I still think it was good for the back."

"That's what yoga's for Josh." Simon said with a roll of his eyes. "Alright Connor you get settled over here and I'll plug you in more or less."

"Hank-" Connor turned to look at him with a almost pleading expression.

"Im right behind you. Don't worry, they're not kicking me out." He said as he looked at Markus pointedly.

"Of course not. In fact it would be best if you stayed with Connor as there aren't a lot of humans in New Jericho at the present."

"Why?"

"Later Connor. We're on the clock here right now."

"Of course." He followed Simon to the bed.

"Where should I be?" 900 asked.

"You're our connection to Cyberlife, right?"

"Correct."

"Then I need you over here with me. We're going to plug into this panel. Do you know what we're looking for?" Josh said.

"Yes. I know everything we need to get, to fix Connor."

"Good. That'll make this whole thing a lot easier."

"Where's North?" Simon asked as he finished connecting Connor up.

"She's taken Lilly to debrief on everything she's seen since the last time she was here."

"So she is like a little spy."

"Not the time Hank." Markus said with some amusement to his voice.

"Okay, now Connor, for this to work best I need to power you down. Alright?" One of the monitors Connor was hooked up to spiked at the suggestion but he nodded his head despite the fear.

"Power down?" Hank asked.

"Otherwise it could severely damage his core processor. This will be the most painless way to take care of this."

"It's alright lieu- Hank. I trust them." Hank sighed but nodded his head. Connor then looked at 900. 'I trust them. Don't worry.' He thought to him. 900 let out a breath but nodded his head. He would trust Connors judgement here.

"Alright. We're good to go then." Connors Thirium pump was still beating faster than it should and so Hank took up the spot next to him as Simon left to the control panel.

"Hey- it's going to be alright."

Memories of every time Connor had been on a table at Cyberlife flashed through his mind and made him clench his hands into fists. This wasn't Cyberlife. They were his friends. It didn't seem to matter though, it was all so hauntingly familiar- In the most unpleasant way possible.

Hank took his hand in his own and rubbed his thumb over it. "You remember Sumo right?"

Connor nodded his head.

"Well that great big lump has only gotten bigger. He's been eating more than he used to and I blame it entirely on you. I think he misses you." He tried to keep his voice light and comforting. A hard thing for a fifty something alcoholic that up until a month ago hated the world and everything in it.

Connor looked at Hank, grateful for the distraction. "You shouldn't allow him to eat like that Hank. It's... It's bad for his health."

"Oh so now you're going to watch the diet of my dog too?"

"He is more... lovable than you." He said with a thoughtful expression.

"Ass." Hank said with a chuckle.

"Well I mean- if I care about... what you eat then of... Of course I'm going to care... about what he... eats." He gave a faint smile before he closed his eyes and went completely still.

Hank took in a shaky breath, as the sight of a motionless Connor was all too familiar for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all are lovely people for leaving such lovely comments. Thank you all for taking the time to do that. 
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. All mistakes are my own.


	13. Chapter 13

[RK900 are you sure you wish to continue with system reboot of RK800? ]

'Yes'

[System rebooting in process.... Please wait...]

[7%]

[Malfunction detected]

[Scanning for solutions ]

[Solutions found]

[Systems needing update ]

[Scanning...]

[Updates available... Downloading]

[Downloading...]

[Download complete]

[Installing updates ...]

[12%......39%.........52%........74%...... 98%......]

[Install complete ]

[system reboot at 27%]

[Warning biocomponents needing repair work...]

[Please repair before continuing.....]

.  
.  
.  
.

900 blinked as he split himself between the physical and digital world. "He has damaged biocomponents that need mending before reboot can continue."

"Oh shit- okay what do we need?"

"It appears to be... Minor fractures and... A few wires not completely together." 900 said his eyes glazed over.

"Okay, chest cavity?"

"Yes... Though in the head as well. Here-" he reached a hand out the skin receding back and Simon quickly grabbed hold of it, and 900 transferred the exact location of each piece in need of repair work.

"Oh great."

"What? What is it?" Hank asked.

"Well... It's nothing major, it's all just... Very small work." It was all work that if he messed up it would be the end of Connor, but Simon had a feeling Hank wouldn't take that too well.

"You've got this Simon." Josh said reassuringly.

"I can help. I used to help Carl."

"Surgery?"

"Medication... But precision work."

"You'll... Help hold things." A second pair of hands was always a good thing... At least most of the time.

"We must hurry, I can't continue with the reboot until they are repaired." And he wasn't sure how long he and Josh would be able to continue their searching without tripping alarms.

Hank didn't like any of it. He didn't like how much this reminded him of his own Sons... He scowled and crossed his arms as he gave them all the space they needed. When they opened Connors chest, the way it whirled and clicked was just... unnerving. Connor was alive, but watching them work on him in the bed... It reminded him what his body was made of. He shook his head and stepped over to one of the Windows not being able to watch them do this.

"Markus- grab the forceps and clamp onto the Thirium vein so it's not spurting blue blood everywhere. 900 I'm seeing patch jobs, has he recently been damaged?"

"Yes- he was shot in the shoulder and then the side. I wasn't aware the damage was extensive. He wasn't complaining and did not alert me to any major damage when I questioned..." He should have performed the scan himself.

"Hey no harm done- just helps explain the damage... And the depleted Thirium levels. Hank."

"yeah?"

"Need you to go to that closet over there and grab me two Thirium packs. Once I get these restored, he's going to need both of them." It was amazing he hadn't shut down already. He grabbed a pair of retractors and moved wires out of the way. "Hold that right there."

As Markus did as he was told Simon caught sight of something disturbing. He quickly grabbed a pair of high grade magnifiers and slipped them onto his face and looked back where he was working. "Oh shit..." He breathed.

"What?"

"The bullet shattered inside of him... There are small pieces of it everywhere." He kept his voice low so only the two of them could hear it. "I'm going to have to dig every piece out, otherwise it could work its way through his body, causing significant damage."

"You got this Simon. And I'm right here to do what I can."

He took a breath before he nodded his head. "Right. And he's off line so he won't feel anything. Walk in the park." He never had been an exceptionally good liar. Markus made no comment on it though. Simon brought his hands up with a pair of tweezers in them, and moved into position and carefully pulled out the first of the shattered pieces.

"How are you two holding on up there?" Simon asked as he started for the next piece.

"We'll manage. You do what you need to get done." 900 answered. In the digital world he and Josh were throwing one digital grenade after another to try and keep the Cyberlife program distracted from what they we actually doing.

'How long you think we can keep this up?' Josh asked inside the program.

'How ever long they need.' 900 replied. While they trying to keep Cyberlife from finding New Jericho, and keep Connors files safe, in the background he was running another program that was quietly storing data from Cyberlife into on sight data storages. He was simply taking anything and everything he could get his hands on, unsure of what would be needed in the future.

Time seemed to creep by as everyone in the room was tense and trying to keep their piece of the machine moving. '900-'

'I see it, I see it.' He quickly punched in a series of numbers and sent a bomb towards the virus that was heading right for them, hoping to stop it in its tracks, but only managing to slow it down. 'I don't think I can stop it except by disconnecting.'

"I hate to rush healing, but we're getting more and more pushback from Cyberlife over here guys." Josh said, his voice betraying they were in deep trouble.

"Done!" Simon yelled. "Hank- Hank I need that Thirium now!" He quickly closed Connors head back together, it giving a soft click as it slid back into place.

Hank quickly ran over and handed the Thirium to Simon who threaded a tube into the bag before giving it a suck and forcing the Blue Blood to the edge of the tube. Then he quickly connected the tube from the bag into Connor. "Hold that bag up Hank. Gravity must work with us."

Simon looked back to the control panel, "We're set here guys!"

900 waisted no time with clicking the continue button.  
.  
.  
.  
[System reboot reinitializing... ]

[Biocomponents... Online]

[System reboot at 67%]

[Scanning...]

[Memory data corrupted ]

[Finding solution... ]

'Can't it go any faster?'

'If we push too fast we risk scrambling Connors memories, and circuitry. No matter what's coming at us, we cannot risk him.'

[Memory data being restored...]

[Memory data.... Restored]

[System reboot at 83%]

[Finalizing-]

[Admin code entered ]

[Please state your command? ]

'Remove AI Amanda from system'

[Understood. Removing Amanda from system...]

[Error. ]

[Corrupted files found, chance of removal with no after effect at 63% ]

[Continue with deletion? ]

'900 we are running out of time!'

[Chance of removal with no after effect has decreased to 37%]

[continue with deletion?]

'shit- yes! Continue with deletion!'

[Confirmed... Amanda deleted from system.]

[Error-]

[All systems up to date.]

[System rebooting at 99%]

[Please stand by, final scan in progress]

[...]

[System finalizing]

'Disconnect in Three... Two.... Now!'

[Scan complete, all systems online....]

[Booting up RK800]  
.  
.  
.

900 and Josh ripped themselves from Cyberlife, digitally slamming the door back down before the virus could catch them and both androids stumbled to the floor as they reconnected fully with their physical form. Both androids just stayed on the floor a moment, groaning slightly from the over stimulation to their processors.

Hank looked down at Connor his eyes wide with anticipation as he heard the biocomponents started to whir back to life inside of him. He wasn't letting his breath out though until Connors eyes opened up again. "Come on... Come on Connor." He said under his breath as he held the Thirium bag up in the air.

Connors eyes fluttered open and he groaned as his optical sensors were blinded by bright lights. "Lights off please." He mumbled, not sure his voice box was completely functional yet.

"Connor?" His systems provided the name Hank as the owner of the voice. He blinked a he tried to get back into functioning order.

"Hank?" He asked groggily. Groggily? That was a new one.

"Fucking shit- don't you ever pull a stunt like that again. Do you hear me?"

"Hank- what?" But the man was having none of it as he leaned over and gave him a hug. Connor decided he didn't need to understand right then and simply enjoyed the hug, bringing his own arms up to wrap around him.

Markus came around the table and took the bag from Hank which Hank was grateful for as his arm had been getting tired. He then cleared his throat and pulled back running a hand over his face, fingers tugging at his beard.

"Hey Connor, I need to know how you're feeling?"

"Actually pretty good."

"Good, good." He smiled and brought up a flash light. "Hank I need to run some easy tests, just to make sure everything's working like it should. But we'll need some space." Hank nodded his head and backed up and watched as Simon ran Connor through some basic tests to make sure all his systems were online.

Hank felt the android step up to him more than heard him. "He... Looks normal." 900 said slowly as Connor proceeded to get up off the bed and worked through a series of stretches.

"Yeah... Think you got everything straightened out in his head?"

"I think so."

That made Hank look over with a quirked brow. "You think so?"

"Amanda proved... Difficult to remove from the system..." He sounded worried, but finally shook his head slightly. "We'll just have to see what happens." He'd tell Connor the details but he did not feel comfortable discussing them with the human, especially without Connor consent.

There was a crashing sound at center of the room that had everyone looking, "Connor are you alright?" Simon was crouched over a sprawled out Connor, both androids looking confused.

"I- I'm sorry I'm not sure what happened."

Simon helped a Connor up off the floor with a small frown. "No worries- hey guys. What all needed to happen to get Connor up and running?"

"There were update files, as well as memory restoration." 900 said.

"Yeah and then 900 deleted a something called Amanda?"

Connor looked up with a slight frown on his face. "You were able to do that?"

"Well... Yes." His LED flicked yellow as he finished thinking to Connor 'but I need to talk to you alone.'

Connor nodded his head. "That's good to hear."

"Okay- let's get you moving around outside. I'd like you to sleep here though-" Connors stress level spiked up but he kept his expression neutral. "I know it might not be the most exciting thing you could think of but I really want to keep you where we can keep an eye on you. Just until we know what all's been updated and the like. Just to make sure nothing needs tweaking or fiddling with. You have been through several... Traumatic things in the last few weeks. And we did a lot of repair work... Otherwise I wouldn't ask."

"Very well. I shall do what you think best. Thank you for your help." Connor said with a nod of his head.

"Of course. Right now, why don't you go for a walk around outside? I'll get a room set up for you."

900 was beside Connor before anyone else could step up. "I'll accompany you. I can give you a scan over while we walk?"

"I think we could manage that." The two of them started to walk out before Connor paused in the door way. "Hank, are you coming as well?" He asked a little worried that he'd found him, now that he remembered him, he wasn't eager for the man to be out of his sight. He knew they were safe but he still didn't feel it.

"You heard Markus, I should probably stick with you." Though a piece of him was relived that he hadn't had to ask to go with him.

"Once you three have rested you can find me at the main hall." Both androids received an address and the directions on how to get there from the hospital. "Please take your time. I'm almost always there."

"Thank you Markus, we'll see you shortly." Connor said before the three of them left the building to stretch the legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being a little later than normal, time got away from me while I was painting. 
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. All mistakes are my own.


	14. Chapter 14

'Are you sure you want him to hear this?'

'What ever needs to be said to me 900, Hank will eventually hear. Might as well just let him know from the beginning.' They were walking through a small garden that was connected to the hospital. Walking through a physical garden was such a different experience from walking through the zen garden that had been in his mind. It had been lovely, but it had a sterile feeling to it that the really thing simply didn't have. The snow crunched under his feet in a way the digital snow never had. It was an entire other level of being real. How could CyberLife had ever thought they could replicate this?

900 nodded his head and took a breath. "While removing Amanda from your code... I'm afraid we didn't have the time to be careful with it."

"What are you saying?" Hank questioned.

"There was a 63% chance that corruption would happen when removing the files." Connor stilled as he heard the statistic. That was... Disconcerting. Was that why he'd had the tumble in the lab? It had felt like he had simply lost connection to his leg... Was it simply a malfunction?

"You mean you may have still screwed him up?"

"That's not what he means Hank." Connor continued to frown though at the news. "Cyberlife, I assume, was nearing your location?"

"Correct. We gave you all the time we could, but if that virus had reached us-"

"It would have been bad. For me, for you, maybe even this place." He explained more for the benefit of Hank than 900. "You made the right choice." He added after a moment and started walking again. "And not an easy one I'm sure."

'Thank you.' He heard in his head from the android. He mentally smiled in response to him and was pleased by the small smile it pulled from the other.

"What about the fumble back at the hospital?" Hank asked still not okay with what had happened. From what he could understand it sounded like 900 had screwed up big time.

"Like Simon said, a lot has happened to me. It could have simply been a reaction... similar to growing pains." He attempt to explain.

"But you're an android- you don't grow like that."

"I am aware. what I'm saying is I may be going through an android version of the human growing pains." He gave a quick smile. "If it's still a problem tomorrow, then I'll start to worry. For right now though I'm fresh from being fixed and it's honestly a lot to take in. Besides the new updates that have been installed into my system," some of which sounded rather... interesting. "I also have the entirety of what happened before this all happened to sort through again."

"Wait- so your memory's back?"

Hanks voice was hopeful and it hurt Connor to know that his not remembering had been such a cause of pain to the man. "Yes but not... Not yet? It's all right there in the front of my mind. But at the moment my first mission is happening simultaneously with turning deviant in front of Markus." As in sometimes Markus was holding the girl hostage and threatening to jump off the building, while David was the one nudging the seeds of doubt at Jericho. "So everything's a little muddled."

"He'll be able to sort through it all with time Anderson."

"I didn't ask you." Hank was still uncertain of this other android. It was weird seeing someone else look so much like Connor and yet also not look like him at all. And for Connor to just seem so... chill about him being around, Hank wasn't sure what to do with that either.

"He's right though. For now it would be best to move on."

Connor started moving them towards the street they had come down, needing to get away from the shadow of the hospital for a moment. The other two didn't question the decision. Both undoubtedly understanding his dislike of the environment. Part of him wished they would question it. 900, because it would help him focus on how ridiculous it was as an android to... feel that fear. Hank, because he always seemed to know what to say. He was pulled from his thoughts though as Hank asked a question.

"So RK900, you were made to replace Connor?"

"Yes. I was designed to be the improved version." Connor looked over at 900 not quite able to place the emotion he was hearing in the others voice.

Hank scoffed. "That sounds life Cyberlife. Always looking for the next best thing." He looked over to Connor. "And you're okay with him?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Hank gave him a look, knowing full well that had been the biggest load of bull he'd heard come out of the androids mouth.

He looked from Hank who was calling him out on his bullshit with a single look, to 900 and gave a small apologetic smile. "Well... Admittedly at first I was... concerned for my own well being." He gave a small shrug. "But he has more than proven that he and I are on the same side."

"Meaning?"

"I consider him a friend Hank. I only hope that he-"

"I do." 900 said quickly. He looked a little startled himself at the confession. "I do consider you a friend Connor."

Connor smiled and nodded his head. Friend still didn't seem quite the right word. Had they been humans he might have classified him as a brother of sorts. They looked alike, acted alike, but each different in their own way. They cared for one another in their own... interesting way. Yeah, brother seemed a good word. "There you have it lieutenant. Though he was made to replace me, we have moved past that and have become so thing more."

Hank nodded his head and gave 900 a look in a new light. So the android was probably someone he was going to have to accept was in his life for good. At least as long as Connor was in his life, which he planned on being a thing for the rest of his days if he could help it.

They finally made it to a more populated part of New Jericho and started to attract attention again. Connor nodded his head as some androids got the nerve to approach him despite the glaring human and larger android. 900 was certainly not the largest android ever built, but he was certainly above the average one. Connor almost felt any android willing to risk either of the other two deserved to get their chance.

He simply wasn't sure how to feel about them... thanking him. He had been a deviant hunter, he would have hunted each and everyone of them down if he'd never gone deviant. Markus was the leader of the revolution for good reason. He looked to Hank the as they continued on. Though thinking about it, it was Hank and his treating him like he was real that really pushed him towards deviancy. It was his desire to be what Hank imagined that pushed him to accept the final straw from Markus that pushed him over the edge.

Did that really make him a deviant then? If it had been because of the desire of another? He'd like to think so, otherwise he'd have another reason not to fit in here in New Jericho. He needed to change his thought process.

"Nine, I've just had a thought, did you not say your power consumption was higher than what you created?" Connor inquired.

900 looked a little shocked. Whether from the nickname or the fact Connor was asking about this now, he couldn't decide. "I did, and if I were to use all of my functions then it would be. But I'm managing at the moment."

"And that's good, but it's something we'll need to look into. Especially now you're no longer with Cyberlife."

"Agreed. But not until we know that your systems are fully functional again. Speaking of, we should be heading back." Connors stress level spiked again but nodded his head slightly. It was irrational for him to feel this fear of the lab...

"Yes. We should head back and maybe Simon or Josh can help you two find a place to rest for today."

"Didn't Markus say I should stay with you?"

"900 is perfectly capable of standing in my place for this. I will simply be sleeping in the lab-"

"Hospital."

"Excuse me?"

"It's a hospital Con. Not a lab. They're not gonna use you as a test subject or what ever. They're only wanting to make sure you're back in your best health... or what ever."

Connor nodded his head, though he stuck his hand into his pants pocket and fiddled with the coin. "Of course. It would be irrational to feel fear of anything here. After all they are... friendly to me. They care."

"Not to mention that I and not Connor over here would have a few things to say should they try to do anything."

"I'm not sure I would be talking should they try something." 900 said completely serious. Hank looked over with a quirked brow, but Connor quickly interrupted.

"All of which, though grateful that you two would be willing, will be unnecessary."

"Because they're your friends Connor. And they're not going to hurt you." Hank finished.

Connor realized what Hank had been working towards then. His shoulders sagged a little and he nodded his head. Because they were his friends, they weren't going to hurt him. A small part of him questioned whether or not he deserved that trust though. That loyalty. After what he had done, the androids he'd murdered, he didn't feel he could ever be worthy of that trust.

They returned to the hospital in silence, two of the three feeling things had been resolved. They were greeted by a softly smiling Simon.

"Good, I was just about to come looking for you three. Connor if you'll follow me I have a room all set up for you. Hank and 900 if you'll follow Josh he'll take to the common area where all the humans normally sleep."

"You okay with that Connor?" Hank asked with a quirked brow.

"Of course. You should find a place with a bed, and 900 should mingle with other androids. I'll be ok." He reassured.

"Don't worry lieutenant. I think you'll enjoy yourself out there. We have a functioning bar." Simon chuckled and started down the hall to lead Connor to his room for the evening.

'Connor?' Nine thought.

'Go Nine. This is probably the safest place to stay and you should get a feel for it. I'll be in sleep mode anyways. Nothing interesting will be going on with me.'

There was silence a moment before he finally heard 'alright. Call if you need anything.'

'Will do- and Nine would you please-'

'Stick to Hank? I will. I'll make sure he stays out of trouble. You forget I saw what happened at the bar.'

Connor followed Simon through the corridors of the hospital until they came to a room towards the back of the building. "I thought you would enjoy having the privacy of the back of the building, rather than right on the street." Simon explained. The room itself was outfitted with a few monitoring pieces of equipment surrounding a bed. On one wall were floor to ceiling Windows, with curtains pulled back to reveal the dying light outside. It didn't have the same sterile feeling the lab had and it helped to lower his stress levels.

"That is appreciated. Thank you."

"Of course. Now if you'll hop up on the bed i'll get a few things ready, then you can go into sleep mode."

He nodded his head before climbing into bed and settling down. It was interesting that, even though androids didn't technically need sleep or be comfortable in this sense, they were still making the effort to live as human like as possible. Maybe it was something he'd come to understand with time.

"Now I'll be in the hospital should you need anything. Just give this button a push" he motioned to a small box connected to the wall that sat beside his bed, "and I'll be down here as fast as I can." He seemed to set up the machine around him before handing him a small cable. "If you could clip that onto your finger, we'll be good to go."

"What will you be monitoring?" He asked as he clipped it on.

"Stress levels, Thirium pump and the regulator. Also making sure all your non critical systems shut down when you snooze off in a bit. Just general health stuff to make sure everything's fine and stays that way."

Connor nodded his head. That didn't sound too bad if he was being honest. He let out an unnecessary breath as he listened to the machines slowly beep and whir around him.

"Feeling a little stressed about staying here huh?" Connor looked over to see what had prompted the question and saw a screen blinking his stress levels at 59%.

"Just bad memories." He replied as he focused back on the wall.

"Oh- I should have thought about that. I'm sorry- should I get Hank or 900 back here?"

"No, it's ridiculous it's even bothering me. I'll be fine."

"I don't really think it's ridiculous to feel anything. That's sorta the reason we protested. Because we wanted to be free obviously but also to be accepted for feeling things too?"

He nodded his head in response. He wasn't even sure how he could explain how that didn't matter, and even if it did he still deserved feeling that fear. The androids had felt fear before he ended their lives. He knew now that was what had been running through their systems. They had been afraid when they realized what he intended on doing.

"Connor?"

He quickly pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked to Simon. "Of course. I suppose it just still feels new to me is all."

"Well I mean technically you've only been deviant a day if we're going by the new standards." He gave Connor a pat, "just give it some time. It'll work itself out."

Connor really wanted to believe that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs nor do I claim to own them. All mistakes are my own.


	15. Chapter 15

Hank sat at the bar in android central and watched as they all seemed uncertain what to do with him. "Think this'll be how it's like all night?" He asked 900.

"Unsure. They seem to be wary of you Anderson."

Hank snorted and took a sip of his drink. He had been thankful to find anything he could drink on the menu. It appeared that they seemed to be in the beginning stages of playing around with Thirium, but for the most part that was all they seemed to enjoy drinking. "I know they said there were humans around here but I'll be damned if I can tell which are and which aren't."

"Well the ones drinking blue blood should be a pretty good indicator." 900 stated deadpan.

Hank give a look before he groaned. "Heaven help me you're as bad as Connor."

"I am his successor Anderson. I'm simply the next model up so it would make sense that there are similarities between us." He took a sip from his own drink.

"So tell me about yourself. Do you do the tongue thing too?"

"The tongue thing?"

"Connor seems obsessed with sticking his fingers in evidence all the damn time and sticking'em in his mouth. You do that?"

" I do have the ability to analyze evidence on the spot, yes."

"Fucking- another one then."

"Another what?"

"And where have you been little miss spy?"

"I've been talking to North about what's been going on in Detroit proper." Lilly shrugged and leaned against the bar.

"It's weird seeing you on this side of the bar and not that side." Hank grumbled.

"Aaaw am I your favorite bar tender?"

"You're the least annoying one. Most of the time."

"I'll take what I can get gramps." She looked over at 900. "See you're still around. Everything okay with Connor?"

"He's resting at the moment. But we believe things are looking up..."

"Do we now?" Hank asked with a snort.

There was silence a moment as Hank and 900 looked at each other.

"What did I miss?"

"900 rushed deleting Amanda from Connors system and may have damaged him."

"Oh shit."

"Damn right oh shit. But Connor being Connor is trying not to worry about it." He snorted and shook his head. He was a fool as far as Hank was concerned, to not be worried about something like that, but then again he was only an old human who didn't know how to work his phone. So what did he know?

"This it's something you can fix though right?"

"We feel confident should anything pop up unexpectedly we should be able to handle it together. After all we are similar in models and should be able to use me as a reference should anything go awry."

"Well that sounds pretty good. And worth a drink." She leaned over the bar and poured herself a drink before the bar tender noticed.

"Is that a bar tender thing it do?"

"No, but I know the guy who owns this place. He helped set my place up. I send some of the profit back to him, he allows me free drinks when I'm in town. And he's working on some interesting stuff for androids let me tell you."

"Is he trying to imitate the drinks that humans partake of?"

"You betcha. He's trying to find a way for androids to feel the same buzz, or at the very least our version of the same buzz. So far he's on the right track."

"Androids wanting to get drunk after only a month of freedom? That sounds right."

"We simply wish it be able to experience life to the fullest. And having a good time goes along with that sentiment."

"What ever you say Girl Scout." She rolled her eyes and took another sip.

"Do you know what you're going to do when Connor is up and running again?" She asked 900 over the rim of her glass.

"I am uncertain at the present moment. He seems to think this would be a good place to hide out for the time being."

"Not a bad choice honestly. Because of the secrecy of its location not many anti android activists have been able to find it."

"How do you keep this all hush hush?" Hank asked looking over at her.

"Right now it's a simple matter of not enough people caring about where we are, as long as it's not causing them trouble. The president knows this location, and androids who know how to look will find it. But for those who we'd rather not find the place... There are androids out there giving misinformation, there are reporters like me letting Markus know the current state of the humans, then there are check points set up all the way out here to help turn people back before they know they're on the right track."

"That and it helps that this place didn't exist on the maps a month ago." North said as she took up a stool next to Hank and motioned for a drink. "But when androids are determined to get something done, shit gets done." She grabbed the drink and took a long swallow of the enhanced Thirium. "Of course with time more and more humans are going to figure out where we are... Markus is excited for the day that happens. Me? I could be happy with it never being found."

"There are also antennas all over the city that scramble us from satellites and drones." Lilly added. She had seen North was in the bar before she'd walked over to Hank and 900. She had hoped the six empty glasses next to her weren't hers... But judging by the look in her eyes she'd wager they had been.

"Shit. That's a lot of work."

"To be fair, there's not a lot of city yet either. Just basic buildings to start us off. Though it's being expanded every day. With time we hope to match size with Detroit and become the sister city."

"But with any luck that'll be a ways off."

"Why are you so reluctant with joining the humans?" 900 asked North.

"Because most of them are fucking sickos, and personally I think we let them off too easily. More should have died."

"And where would that have gotten you? Even more of your own dead. No, Markus went about it the right way." Hank said finishing his drink.

"What would you know? You were fighting us for most of. You and Connor." She narrowed her eyes at him. "What Connor's going through right now? He deserves it."

"North-"

"Say that again you fu-"

900 though didn't say a word, instead leaning around Hank and slapping her.

"900-"

"What the fuck?"

"You take that back about him." He seethed.

"Of course, his twin coming to save the fucking day." North glared at him as she got to her feet. "How do we know this wasn't some elaborate scheme just to get the pair of you into New Jericho? I never got to link with the bastard."

"North do you really need to do this here?" Lilly said as they started to catch the attention of the others in the room.

"Yeah I do actually. These androids deserve to know who the fuck is in our city."

"Say another fucking word-"

"The Cyberlife dogs are here! They got kicked by their masters and the first place the hunters came running, was for New Jericho."

Hank stood up, but was beaten by 900 who lunged for North. "What would you know? You were just a mass produced module. You know nothing of what it's been like for us!" He grabbed for her neck but she punched him in the eye hard enough to make his head snap to the side. She took the distraction to wiggle away from him and swing on top of him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You fucking Cyberlife puppet, I know you two are up to something." She gritted out. "I won't let you hurt my people because you're too blind to leave your masters."

900 reached up with his hands and started to physically pry Norths arms off of his neck. "You don't know anything." He hissed, before he broke her hold and slammed his head back into her nose.

She cursed as she let go and he rolled to one side. They both made to get up but Hank grabbed him and held him back, as Lilly did the same to North. "Stop it the both of you!" Hank yelled as best he could.

The bar had gone completely silent as all eyes were on the four of them.

"If he's not still working for them then how come he never came with the others, huh? How come the next time we see him he's working for Cyberlife again? Awfully convenient he just happened to lose all his memory don't you think?" Norths eyes were blown wide from the upgraded Thirium.

"North you don't know what you're talking about-"

"Cyberlife allowed those damn androids to go free so Markus would think he was on our side. Then they sent him back into the field with the hope he would find this place and destroy it. Why else would he not have left the tower with the others, and still be alive?"

"Because-" Hank started.

"Anderson-"

"No- she's besmirching his good name! The reason he didn't show up? Was because I shot him North!" Hank yelled, and that seemed to shut her up. "I shot him. That's why he didn't join you or Markus after it was all said and done. I shot him and he got left there-"

900 looked between them, feeling he should do something but having no idea what he should do. "Come on Anderson, let's-"

"But he did free those others." Hank continued. "He died trying to do exactly what he had told Markus he would do. So get off your high horse and accept that they're your people too." Hank finished.

900 finally grabbed his arm and gave it a tug. "Come on Anderson, let's go find that room."

"I-" North started.

"You've done enough." 900 snapped.

"I'm sorry." She persisted though.

"Try again in the morning." He glared at her as he pulled Hank out of the bar and way from all of those eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them.  
> All mistakes are my own.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big special thank you to * Nogoalsonlyachievments * for helping me read through this chapter and giving me a much needed second pair of eyes. I cannot say thank you enough for that help. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

_'I know it hasn't always been easy, but I want you to know that I really enjoyed working with you. That's not just my social relations program talking. I-I really mean that. At least, I think I do...' He would miss Hank, even if that was something he couldn't actually feel..._

_'Hey what am I supposed to do with this one?'_

_'Tell it you changed your mind.'_

_'Uh- sorry honey, changed my mind. Nothing personal, you're a lovely girl... I just, uh...' Even with the mission to find the killer Traci, Connor had paused to watch Hank try and turn the android down. 'You know, I'm with him and, uh...' Connor quirked a brow and felt the corner of his mouth twitch up. 'I mean, not with him like that... I'm not that... That's not what I...' Watching him flounder around was almost comical to Connor and he felt he should help, but was too amused by what he was seeing. 'Wow... I just....... Got a job to do.'_

_'My relationship with lieutenant Anderson is problematic...' The man thought too much with his emotions. It clouded his judgement when it came to androids. He kept insisting they were... They were some kind of people. He acted like Connor himself was... A person in his own way. How could he do that?_

_'You had your gun trained on those deviants at the Eden Club. Why didn't you shoot?' Amanda knew. She knew he'd had doubts. She was going to bring him in, was going to disassemble him and try to figure out what had gone wrong._

_'Why didn't you shoot?' He winced even though he had been expecting this. He had failed the mission. He had deliberately put the life of an android above the mission..._

_'I just saw that girls eyes, and I couldn't. That's all.' He had failed the Kamski test. He had to have failed it. He wouldn't shoot the android. He'd failed again._

_'You're always saying you would do anything to accomplish your mission. That was our chance to learn something,and you let it go.' Hank was upset wasn't he? His face glitched to that of Amanda before it went back to Hank. He'd failed, he should be decommissioned for this. Hank should turn him into CyberLife this very moment._

_'Yeah, I know what I should've done. I told you i couldn't. I'm sorry, okay?' Please don't turn me in. Please don't tell them I failed again. I don't want to be decommissioned._

_'Have you never had any doubts?'_

_'Don't let Anderson or anyone else get in your way.'_

_'Is the desire to be a free a contagious disease?'_

_'My predecessor was unfortunately destroyed, but Cyberlife transferred it's memory and sent me to replace it. This incident should not affect the investigation.' Why was Hank upset? He was an android, replaceable and unimportant. He'd saved Hanks life by giving his own. Why was he upset?_

_'You look human, you sound human, but what are you really?' He was a machine, and android who took orders. He should feel anything when Hank questioned him like this. He shouldn't register emotions like worry, hurt, and sadness. Then there was the gun._

_'I'm a machine.'_

_'Adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features.' Winking. Why had he added a wink? That was just his social relations program working, right?_

_'You lied to me Connor. You lied to me...'_

Connor sat straight up in bed as the machines all around him started beeping uncontrollably. He looked around him and had no idea where he was. Why was he here in a bed? And those images... Had he been dreaming? Androids didn't dream did they? He looked around him and saw nothing that would help him identify where he was. That lead him to believe he was Cyberlife... Who else would put him in a room like this?

He did a scan and found that his systems were running faster than they should be, and he could feel them buzzing inside him. Buzzing and almost burning. As if they would melt right through his synthetic skin. This had to be Cyberlife. Only Cyberlife could make him feel this way, could make his system act strange like this. They must be trying something new out on him. Maybe a new stress test to see if his endurance had changed while being in the field? He grimaced and started to disconnect from the devices around him before stumbling out of bed. He couldn't do this. Not again. He had gotten free before- he could do it again.

He needed to get out. He needed to get out of this place. That was his first objective. He opened the door and glanced in both directions as he tried to decide what to do. He started to run down the hall, presumably to where the exit out of this place was. His sensors alerted him to crispness to the air and to the fact that he was topless and, more worryingly, that could feel that it was cold. He was actually feeling the cold. Not just registering that there was a difference, but feeling it was cold. Why was he feeling cold?

He stumbled to one side, grabbing onto a trundle bed as his sensors to his legs glitched for a moment. What was happening? First the memories, then the feeling cold and yet feeling like his insides would burn holes through him, and now his legs? What was wrong with him? The symptoms sounded like his systems were slowly failing- but what had he done that would cause that? As quickly as it had happened though his legs were back online and he couldn't think longer on it.

What had Cyberlife done? Where was this? He had no recollection of it being on any map he'd seen before.

"Connor?" He spun around on his heel and shoved the bed on wheels in the direction of the voice. "Connor! Easy there, it's me-" But he wasn't listening. He couldn't let Cyberlife get him. He couldn't go through it all over again. He shoved the obstacle towards the android, then he was running back towards the exit. "Connor, wait!" Connor wasn't listening. He wasn't going to wait to be caught. He didn't have to follow orders. He was a deviant. He plowed into the door and it opened with a bang as he stumbled outside into the snow.

Multiple thing slammed into his sensors all at once. First the wasn't Cyberlife tower at all. Second it was even colder outside then it was inside. Third he had no idea where he was. Was this another location that Cyberlife had been developing? Had they shipped him off somewhere where no one would be able to find him? He had just started to remember everything, and now he had been taken from them all again?

A gust of wind blew across his skin and he shivered. He actually shivered... He wrapped his arms around himself and continued walking along the road. He had to keep going. He had to get out of there and find Hank. Hank would know what to do. He became aware that he had no shoes on and that the snows chill was slowly seeping into his feet. He was- he was really cold wasn't he? As in Legitimately cold. Is this what being cold felt like? He couldn't be- he couldn't be cold. That wasn't right. He knew deviants could feel pain, but cold?

"Connor, please wait." He heard that voice again and turned back around and saw the android from inside right behind him once again. He looked him over carefully and noted there were no indications he was with Cyberlife... But that didn't mean anything. This place wasn't at the tower. They could easily wear different uniforms here. "Connor, it's me. Simon?"

"Simon..." The name sounded familiar... He knew that name. But where did he know that name? Was it with Markus or Amanda? He looked around him again and swallowed. His sensors started to flash warnings on his screen that he was getting too cold and needed to warm up again. His vision darkened a moment and he wondered if this was the same thing that had happened to his legs in the hall. "Simon I believe something is-" he felt biocomponents start to shut down inside of him, as if his processor was being overloaded.

"I'm sorry- I don't appear to be..." He started to say before he swayed to one side. His vision glitched and became staticky, and his optical units sent a warning they were malfunctioning. "I'm-" he fell to the ground and felt the snow pile against him. He still didn't understand how he was feeling, and not just registering, that the snow was cold. He was actually feeling.

"Connor! Hold on, hold on we'll get you inside!" When Simon touched him Connor wanted to jerk away. The hand was too warm, too hot to the touch. It burned, and it felt like it should be burning him. But he couldn't move. Why couldn't he move? "Can you move?" The man sounded concerned. Sounded like he wanted to help him. Cyberlife didn't act that way... Maybe he wasn't with CyberLife?

"I'm ok." He said though he made no motion to move. "I'm ok..." Simon was very aware that the android was anything but okay. He needed to get him back inside and run a diagnosis. He had heard the machines beep like crazy and had gone to investigate why they were going crazy, when he saw Connor trying to escape. Simon wrapped his arm around the other as best he could and hoisted him up to his feet. At this point though, Connor was little more than dead weight.

"What happened?" Simon tried again as he started to drag him back to the hospital.

"Nothing." Connors vision went dark, the optical processors sending one last error message before they shut down. "There's, nothing."

"Nothing? Connor you're shivering and ran out of the hospital like it was on fire. I believe there is something wrong."

Connor wasn't listening though. He was cold, he couldn't see, and his body was unresponsive. He was both over stimulated and in the dark. How could he be both? "Cold. Im cold." He finally got out.

"Cold?" Simon frowned. That lined up with the shivering... But he'd only heard of some of the children models becoming cold for the sake of realism for the humans who adopted them, but he'd never heard of it happening with an adult version. "Don't worry. We'll get inside and warm you up. How does that sound?" He asked, trying to soothe him.

Connor nodded his head. "Why is it dark?" He asked next.

Simon looked around as he walked them back inside the hospital. "I wouldn't say it's dark, the street lamps were on outside... But it is still night time?" He offered as explanation.

"There are no lamps- I would see them if there were." His mind felt sluggish, as if at any moment he was going to shut down.

Simon looked at the android concerned and hauled him into the lab and laid him on the bed. "Alright Connor let's see what we can do to help you." He finally got a good look at his eyes and realized why the world was dark for the man. "Oh Connor..." He gave him a light pat on the leg. "I'm going to restart your program, alright?"

Connors stress levels spiked up and his Thirium pump quickened in response. "No- no please." He couldn't be reset. He'd only just started to get everything back. Why would Cyberlife give him back his memories only to take it away again? Was it yet another new stress test? "I don't want to be reset! Please, I can do this without being reset!"

"No- no I'm just restarting Connor." Simon tried to calm him back down. "I think when you woke up and disconnected you misaligned something in your program. Jared your system coding. I think a restart will fix that." He said slowly trying to make him understand.

"No, no, no. Please. I just got the memories back. I just got him back-"

"You won't lose anything Connor!" Simon insisted.

"No please! I'll complete the mission!" Connor reached out with what ever he could. He couldn't move his body, he couldn't see, but his mind was still functioning... Somewhat. He dived into himself and found a line, a line connecting him to someone else. He would take it, he'd take anything he could get at this point. He grabbed ahold of the connection and yanked on it as hard as he could. 'HELP' he screamed down the connection.

900 jumped where he had been sitting in his and Hanks room. 'Connor? What's wrong?' He quickly thought to the other.

'It's dark, he's resetting me, I can't see- I just got my memories back. Please No, I don't want to forget again- help pl-' then the connection was cut off abruptly leaving a gaping void where it had been between the two of them.

900 stood to his feet at the suddenness of the loss knocking over the chair he'd been sitting in. 'Connor?' He tried to connect to the android again but got no response. "Connor?!" He knew saying it out loud wouldn't make them connect any better, but still he tried it. "Hank!" He finally shouted.

"Wh- what the fuck?" Hank said as the crashing of the chair and the yelling of the android woke him up from sleep. "900? Where are-"

"Connor needs help! I don't know what's happened but he needs help now!" And that was all he said before he disappeared out of the room. He could hear Hank cursing behind him and knew the man would follow, but he didn't have the time to wait for him to catch up. He couldn't feel Connor connected to him any longer. He couldn't feel the presence he'd come to know as Connor at the edge of his mind, and that frightened him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys thank you all for the comments and kudos! It just makes me so happy to see y'all enjoying the story. I don't think I can say that enough, thank you c: 
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. All mistakes are my own.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once a big thank you to * Nogoalsonlyachievments * for being that second pair of eyes that I sorely needed these last two chapters.

"What the fuck did you do?" Hank yelled at Simon as 900 sat beside Connor running his own diagnostics on the powered down android. From what 900 could understand, It looked like while Connor had been in sleep mode memories had slammed into his processor unit and had overstimulated the android. He didn't understand how memories could overstimulate an android to this degree, but Connor was living proof it could happen.

After the memories though he saw readings stored of where his biocomponents had been running faster than should have been possible, and that had lead to an overheating of his core. Which no doubt was what made Connor freak out. He couldn't imagine what it must have felt like to be burning up in the inside. The Thirium was supposed to keep everything cool, but obviously the pump or the regulator had malfunctioned some how.

Then it went on to when Simon had chased him outside where the overheating was taken care of by the snow. In fact the snow did such a good at cooling the android down it had almost forced him to shut down outside. So overstimulation of the processor lead to the biocomponents overworking themselves which lead to the entire system overheating which lead to Connor losing his mind and running for it. Where he end up outside and became so cold so quickly that he almost shut his systems down, as there was evidence that the biocomponents had started to shut down inside of him.

900 shook his head as he tried to come to terms with all of that. What had been the trigger? Surely it hadn't been the process yesterday he'd undergone... And yet that was the only major thing that had happened to him in the last twelve hours. He heard Simon start to talk to Hank and turned his attention towards him.

"He was sleeping one moment and then the next he was running down the hall! As if running for his life." It appeared to have frightened him like little else had in his life. Simon had never seen an android go crazy like that, except when stress levels were too high... Stress levels... "Shit..." He said as he started to realize what might have happened.

"What?" Hank snapped.

"I thought it had been taken care of, or that it would be fine."

"What?" Hank gritted out again.

"When he went to sleep... His stress levels were higher than normal. Nothing to be terribly worried about, but still something that I talked with him about. I thought maybe it had been stress from everything that had happened."

"He was worried because it reminded him of Cyberlife..." Hank breathed. Damn it, he should have stayed. But he'd thought like Simon that everything would be okay. Hell, Connor had even acted like it would be okay. He'd insisted that they go out while he stayed and went into sleep mode.

"And so you put him into sleep mode, even with his stress levels raised?" 900 did not sound happy.

"I thought they were going down-" Simon tried to explain.

"Obviously you were wrong." 900 gritted out. "You almost destroyed him."

That made the room fall silent.

"What?"

"He had trouble coping with the memories while he was in sleep mode, maybe if he'd gone into the mode calmer it wouldn't have been so bad... What ever he was remembering though, coupled with the heightened stress levels only made it worse and he was starting to overheat. That's what woke him up no doubt, as his biocomponents were running faster than they should have been able to."

"Shit..."

"So he got hot? That's what made him lose it?"

"Yes Anderson he got hot."

"And, much like anything that's mechanical in nature, when we overheat things like the processors, or regulators start to fry and shut down. At least in theory." Simon looked to 900. "It's not something that should be able to happen though with the Thirium. For him to overheat the Thirium would have had to stop circulating. Which means it would have had to stop doing its function for something like this to happen. Why would it just stop?"

900 continued to frown as he nodded his head. That was what was bothering him. It was as if Connor had been attacking himself from the inside. It simply didn't make sense... Unless this had to do with removing Amanda? The corrupted files he had risked in order to remove the AI... Could that be the reason Connor had basically malfunctioned?

"Could this be something that happened when updating his systems?" Simon risked asking.

"That's a probability, yes." Was this his fault then? Had he almost gotten the only android that cared about him killed? Why did he risk removing Amanda... Or maybe he should have thought about the injuries before they started to try and fix his systems. Then he would have given himself more time to remove Amanda and not risk corrupting Connors system. His mind was quickly spiraling down a dark path of how this was his fault when he felt a hand on his shoulder and flinched.

"This isn't on you." Hank said. 900 looked up at him with questioning eyes. How could he say that? How could he look so sure that this wasn't his fault? He knew their time together had been... interesting but he had not expected it to sway his opinion of him like this. But the way Hank looked so sure, it made him feel better.

"Thank you." He said softly.

Hank gave him a pat before pulling away. "Think you can fix what ever happened?"

"I believe so, but I will need Connor awake in order for us to locate the problem inside. Fixing this will take time." They'd have to search through every system and file that was running and even with their speed it would take time to locate where the error was hiding.

"I am confident though that with both of us working we will be able to repair any damage that has been done." He looked over to Simon. "I will need to power him back up, and I don't think it wise for you to be in the room when I do. It's nothing personal, just taking precautions as the last time he was awake, you were the person he believes intended to reset him. So if you could please step out."

A pained looked crossed Simons face but he nodded his head understanding, "of course. I'll go tell Markus what's happened." He gave the three of them one last look before he quickly left the room, presumably to find Markus.

900 then leaned over Connor and started him back up, watching as his systems began to come back online. Connors eyes opened and his LED immediately started to swirl an angry red as his breathing was fast and shallow. 900 reached a hand out and placed it on his arm as Hank did the same with placing a hand on Connors back. "It's alright Connor. I'm here as well as Hank."

He watched as Connor visibly relaxed at the sight of them. At the very least then he knew who they were and that they were friends, that made things easier. "You got my message."

"You remember sending it?"

"Vaguely. I remember being scared- I thought I was... Going to be reset." He tensed slightly as he looked around them but after seeing it was just them in the room he relaxed again.

"I should have stayed with you."

"Someone should have stayed with you." Hank added.

Connor looked over and gave a small smile at the lieutenant. "I'm sorry to have woken you up."

"Ah shit- don't you ever stop with that? Come on I would have throttled you if I hadn't been woken up for something like this." He started to rub his hand up and down Connors back and the android leaned into the touch, amazed at the way it felt, and stress levels went down. His attention though was brought back to 900.

"Connor I believe the corruption from removing Amanda is real and we need to go in and fix it manually."

"You think it had something to do with earlier?" 900 nodded his head. "I see." He looked down at his hands before nodding his head. "Very well. Let's see what we can do." 900 settled himself on the bed in front of Connor and they each grabbed the others arm, skin sliding back to reveal the smooth white underneath. Their LEDs flickered, then seemed to sync with one another as they entered Connors mind.

"Where should we start?"

"Your legs were the first thing to malfunction yesterday correct?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe there's something there that we can follow to somewhere else." They pulled up his limb function systems and looked at the legs specifically. They both started their search but as time passed on they seemed to find nothing. They moved on to the other limbs and even though they could find a few strands of weird code here and there, which they fixed as they found, it was nothing that should have caused the system crash that happened.

Finally Connor paused their aimless searching. "Why would my legs malfunction because of Amanda?"

"I don't know Connor. I'm just as lost as you are on this."

"Then let's stop a moment. Amanda was the program to keep me focused and from turning deviant, yes?"

"I'll accept it."

"What would legs have to do with turning deviant? How did Amanda get attached to them."

"Maybe- an event occurred where your legs sustained damage?"

"I can't recall anything specially happening to my legs... Maybe it had to do with the way she had the ability to take over my physical form."

"She was linked to every biocomponent and limb you had. It's possible I suppose."

"She wasn't just an AI that talked to me, she could physically take over my systems, should she have chosen to. You are living proof that she could have done that to me. Which means she had to have been linked to everything inside of me. And so if she was linked to everything inside of me, then maybe when removing her she truly could have caused damage all throughout the system."

"So maybe this all comes back to main processor? Maybe that's where the zen garden was located physically. It would make sense she would take the most vital place as her home base."

"It would explain how she could take full control. And if we go there we should be able to fix all the damage without having to go find each individual broken code. She would have been connected to everything, so everything should be able to be seen from there."

"Let's go there then." They quickly brought up the core processor systems, and started to search through everything that was there, looking for any corrupted code.

"900..." Connor said and pointed to a part of the coding that simply didn't exist any more. "I think I found it." It was located in the processor unit itself. No wonder Connor had been crashing, his the code connecting the processor to the rest if his system was corrupted or just simply gone... "How do we fix this?"

900 looked at the absence of code almost getting the feeling of being overwhelmed. That seemed like so much to fix... How could they possibly manage to fix that? He looked over at Connor and got a determined look in his eyes. They had to get this fixed otherwise Connor would slowly shut down... permanently. "We have rebuild the missing code."

Connor nodded his head. That would take time, but between the two of them they should be able to do this. He watched as 900 got to work rebuilding missing code, using himself as the map for what was needed and Connor quickly followed behind and together they started to rebuild the broken code. It was an amazing sight as they reconnected each line of code back together and connection seemed to him back to life.

It took hours to repair everything that had been ripped away with Amanda, but eventually they were able to every line of code, and the finished product was beautiful to feel. For the first time since he'd set the androids free at the tower Connor felt completely whole again. He couldn't even properly explain what he was feeling because of this. They closed their digital eyes and opened their physical ones and carefully released each other.

Hank had apparently been pacing around the room as they worked and as soon as he heard movement from them he dashed over concern written all over his face. "Is everything fixed? Are you alright?" Hanks voice was so full of worry. Connor hoped to never be the cause of that in the man again. He looked over and gave a small nod of his head.

"We believe everything is fixed Hank."

"So, you're back to being... You?"

Connor chuckled and quirked a brow, "Correct Hank. I'm back to being me."

Hank didn't waste a moment and quickly wrapped his arms around Connor in a hug and Connor returned it. He smiled and relaxed into the embrace, enjoying it much more than what had happened in the cab on the way to New Jericho. This time he could feel the way Hanks jacket felt, could feel his beard against his skin. Had it always been scratchy like that? Connor sighed happily and relaxed even more. This was what a hug was supposed to feel like, this was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank. You guys so much for reading this far, I'm so glad you've been enjoying it. Last chapter should be up tomorrow or Monday. But part two for these characters is already being posted should you like to continue to read. Just be mindful of the tags. 
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. All mistakes are my own.


	18. Chapter 18

"So, everything's fine now?" Markus asked as they all gathered in Markus' office. Connor sat beside Hank who was sipping on a coffee, while 900 stood right behind them. Lilly was sitting on top of the table proper, while North was leaning against the desk with her arms crossed, seemingly chewing on the end of a straw. Simon was beside Markus, still a little shaken from what had almost happened to Connor, and Markus was sitting across from Connor still processing everything that had happened.

"Correct." Connor confirm. "And Simon shouldn't feel any guilt for what happened." He looked to the android. "It would have happened despite my stress levels. It was only a matter of time." Simon gave him a grateful smile which Connor returned.

"That's wonderful to hear Connor." Markus visibly relaxed.

"So, Cyberlife is out of your head for good now?" North asked.

"We believe so." 900 replied, still not entirely pleased with North.

"That's the best bit of news I've heard today." Lilly said looking over at North. "Right?"

North nodded her head and looked out the window. "Yeah, it is."

"So the next question." Markus said bringing all attention back to him. "How are you feeling? You've both been through a lot these last few days. How are you two handling everything?"

"I need time to process everything. With being fixed a few updates changed some things with my programming. Nothing negative... Just things I need time to sort through."

"Of course. You all are welcome to stay as long as you desire. We certainly could use the help building this place up."

"Even though we're former Cyberlife deviant hunters?" 900 said looking at North pointedly.

"It won't be a problem at all. What we used to be, what we were programmed to be simply doesn't matter once you've turned deviant. That wasn't you before, you can't be held responsible for anything you did."

Connor smiled politely knowing this is what Markus told everyone, but he felt that this didn't apply to him. He should have known better. He'd deviated before, so he should have been able to turn deviant again before anyone got killed...

"And I mean that Connor." Markus finished looking directly at the android, cutting through his thoughts. "No one here blames you for what happened this last week. You were under CyberLife's control. Do you understand that?"

He kept his LED a slowly swirling cool blue. "Of course Markus." He lied convincingly. Hank, who was watching him the entire time could have sworn the blue flickered for a moment and had a feeling Connor was lying through his teeth. It was something he'd be talking to the android about when they weren't in the presence of the others. He felt that was a private conversation that they needed to have with one another.

"Good. Now since I'm assuming the three of you will be staying a while?" They all nodded their heads in agreement. "Then I've set up a small apartment for you to call home for as long as you'd like. When you're ready to start doing something please come see me. I know that Josh would enjoy having your help 900."

"He would?" Surprise was evident in his voice.

"Yes. What ever you two did while fixing Connor impressed him and he made sure to tell me, should you decide to stay he'd like to have you working with him."

"I'll- I'll certainly think about it." He said, not quite sure of how to respond to that.

"Wonderful, then Lilly if you would please show them to their apartment we can allow them to get back to their day."

Lilly nodded her head and hopped off the table and headed for the door. "Come on guys, you'll enjoy this." The small group all shuffled out of the room, Hank finishing his coffee in one large gulp.

"Im glad you guys are staying for a while. I think it'll be good for the healing or what ever for you to be around androids. Though Hank I'm surprised you're not going back to Detroit right away."

"Like hell I'm leaving Connor." Hank grumbled. Then glanced at 900, "and somebodies gotta keep the loose canon over here from trying to fight every android that looks at him wrong."

"Hey-"

"What happened?"

"Nothing-"

"He went off on North and they tried to beat the shit out of each other." Hank answered.

900 grimaced before shaking his head. "Alright so nothing happened that I regret."

"Nine you can't just go around beating people up. What did she do?"

"She was being rude... About you."

"And your twin here went bat shit crazy. I'd kill to be on a list of names, someone went crazy for."

"I could add you to my list Lilly if you would like?"

"I better be on that damn list." Hank added in a huff.

"Guys, beating people up isn't the right way to go about things-"

"I think it's a perfect way to deal with your problems." Lilly said with a shrug.

"Girl Scouts right. Sounds like a pretty good way to me."

Connor groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Children, this had to be what it felt like dealing with children.

"Though I am grateful for the support, weren't you both trying to stop the fight?"

"Well someone had to be the adult. We-" Lilly motioned to herself and Hank, "can simply flip flop between adulthood and being a child. It depends on which side needs more strength."

"May I assume this happened in a bar?"

"You know it."

"Hank you corrupted Nine." Connor finally said. "It was because of that bar fight he witnessed that his instincts became punch first talk later."

"You were quite aggressive as well if I remember correctly Connor. You were ready to beat a man to death that touched Hank were you not?" 900 said with a small smirk on his lips.

"That was different, he was about ready to do the same to Hank. That man wasn't simply flinging insults at him."

"So you're saying that if someone was insulting me you wouldn't clobber'em?" Hank asked.

"I would get more satisfaction talking them in circles until they made a fool of themselves." Connor evaded.

"And if that didn't work?" Hank persisted.

"Then... I may hit them should plan A fail."

"HA." Lilly said grinning. "Can't complain then. Your plan b is simply our plan a." Connor sighed but finally let it drop. "Alright my friends, here we are. Your home for how ever long you'd like." She opened up the door with a touch of her hand and they all stepped in.

It was a nice place. It opened into a living room area with a kitchen off to the side. A small hall lead back away from the door presumably it the bed rooms.

"Thank you Lilly. How long will you be staying here in New Jericho?"

"Probably through the holiday, since it's only a week away. I've got someone covering the bar so there's no rush for me to go back. And I've got some people I need to catch up with. So don't worry, I'll be hanging around." She smiled softly and looked towards Connor. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I don't think Hank could handle you not being okay anymore. I think you've made him lose some hairs." She winked, then left before Hank could throw something at her.

"How did I make you lose hairs Hank?" Connor asked looking at him confused, and the door closed behind her.

"Yes how did he make you lose hair when he has not been in much contact with you yet?" 900 added, giving him a similar look.

Hank groaned and ran a hand over his face. "Heaven help me I don't think I can handle two of you."

They ended up spending the next three weeks at New Jericho, recovering and becoming aquatinted with the city. Hank took his vacation days so they could spend the holidays in New Jericho and hung up before Fowler could complain. Connor made sure Sumo was brought into the city to enjoy the holiday and if he was able to feel how soft the fur was of the dog, he shared this fact with no one.

There were things he was still coming to terms with, or even just finding out about with the updates he'd gone through... And he didn't want anyone to worry about them. He was a grown man by all accounts, he could handle these new things on his own. In some way, right now he needed to be able to handle them on his own.

Eventually though, Hank had to go back home and Connor and 900 had choices to make.

"You really think this is a good idea?"

"I do. We have already proven to have an unusually long distance ability to connect with one another and can thus become an emergency line between the two cities. The real question though, are you alright with staying here Nine?"

Those blue eyes turned towards him and for a moment Connor believed he was going to say no. That he wanted to stay with him and Hank, and frankly if that's what he wanted then he wasn't going to turn him away. A part of him didn't want him to stay, didn't want them to get separated after what they'd been through. But Nine nodded his head quickly, in a decisive manner. "Yes. I believe this is where I need to be. I don't have a life back in Detroit like you do. My life... It's here with our people."

"I know they'll be thankful to have you while they try to sort through all that data you acquired for them."

He snorted softly. "Yes I suppose they will." He looked at Connor and hardened his gaze. "You be careful out there. The news we've been getting back from our reporters is... Not encouraging."

"All the more reason for an android to be out there in the publics eye to prove we can work side by side with the humans. New Jericho cannot stay hidden forever, no matter how much some desire it to be so. And we must prepare the way in some fashion, of humans and androids working together for the good of everyone. Otherwise it will be even more painful for the androids here when the transition happens."

"That sounds an awful lot like you're giving up your own happiness in order to help our people. That sounds like you." 900 mused.

"It's not though. Hank has already assumed I'll be living with him and sumo. And Fowler has all but hired me already, so I'll have a job doing what I was designed to do. And with recent discoveries, I will be far from wanting for anything."

Nine placed a hand on Connors shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I'll miss you though."

Connor returned the gesture and smiled, "and I shall miss you. But I feel this is the right thing. Besides I know I'll be seeing you again."

"You better come and visit every chance you get."

"I will."

"Hey you two, Con and I need to get going otherwise we won't get home until midnight."

"Until next time Nine. Try to keep out of fights?"

"Only if you promise to stop licking things."

"I'm not apologizing for that again!" Connor said with mock frustration, "I had to understand why it was so fascinating to Sumo." He started for the car with a shake of his head.

"Connor-" he turned around in time for 900 to give him a hug, sending a feeling of warmth along their connection before quickly pulling away. "I'll see you around."

"Of course." He smiled again before he shuffled into the front seat; Knights of the Black Death blaring out of the car as it started down the road. He knew this was the right thing to do, but he wasn't foolish enough to think it would be easy. Just as he knew this was the right thing to do, he also knew it would be the hard thing.

Anti android activists had only become more of a problem as time had passed, and now there were reports of androids responding in similar manners to the humans. Red and Blue blood was literally flowing in the streets. Working in Detroit wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done. A wet tongue ran over his cheek and he blinked in surprise at the feeling and looked over into the face of sumo, tongue lolling out to one side.

He smiled and gave the dig a scratch behind the ears. "Damn it sumo get in the back, I can't see!" Hank complained as he shoved him backwards. Connor chuckled and smiled at the pair of them. He wasn't going to be alone though. Hank was here with Sumo, and Lilly was already back in Detroit. It wouldn't be easy, but he wouldn't be alone either. He had his family, and what could possibly happen that they couldn't handle together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading, commenting, and giving all the kudos. It has been such a blessing to write this story and interact with all of y'all. I'm so thankful to each and every one of you. Thank you!
> 
> I would be so sad to end things here, and am so glad that I'm working on the next installment, as I'm so not ready to be done with these characters. If you would like to continue to read about Connor and rk900 and all of them, the second one, 'Undercover Fun', is already up and being updated regularly.
> 
> As always I own nothing but the idea and the ocs, nor do I claim to own them. All mistakes are my own.


End file.
